LAND of ISRAEL

Tag: western wall

  • No Jewish link to Jerusalem Temple Mount???

    No Jewish link to Jerusalem Temple Mount???

    The 2000 year old Arch of Titus celebrates Roman victory over Judea, depicting soldiers carrying Jerusalem Temple treasures into Rome.

    With the recent UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization!!!) vote denying any Jewish connection to the Western Wall and Temple Mount (Mount Moriah) where the Mosque of Omar and El Aksa Mosques stand today, I’d like to suggest that the supporters of the resolution visit the Arch of Titus situated close by the Coliseum next time they are in Rome.   The 2000 year old arch was built to honor Titus who laid siege to Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. and destroyed the Jewish Holy Temple that stood on Mount Moriah.

    Arch of Titus: Jewish prisoners carrying the golden Menorah into Rome
    Arch of Titus: Roman soldiers carrying the golden Menorah into Rome

    Depicted on the arch are Roman soldiers carrying the Menorah (seven branched golden candelabrum) into Rome, as well as other Temple treasures such as the Golden Trumpets and Show Bread offering table which was made of acacia wood and covered with gold.  The Jewish revolt against Roman tyranny and the attempt to reestablish independence broke out in Caesarea (Mediterranean coast) in 66 A.D. and ended seven years later with the fall of Masada in 73 A.D. The Western Wall is a remnant of the massive support walls that encircled and supported the Temple Mount platform and upon which the Moslems later built the Dome of the Rock mosque, also known as the Mosque of Omar.

  • Western Wall

    Western Wall

    Western (Wailing) Wall

    Touch biblical Jerusalem! Israel’s Western Wall or Wailing Wall, built by King Herod, supports the huge Temple Mount platform over Mount Moriah where Solomon’s Temple stood. Ask Zack Shavin about visiting and even celebrating your Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah there!

    Biblical Jerusalem
    Imagine a piece of ancient Jerusalem, so authentic, so well preserved, that what you see today is exactly what was seen by the local people and tens of thousands of Passover pilgrims that made their way up to the great Holy Temple 2000 years ago! It is called in Hebrew the Kotel Ma-aravi or Western Wall, and is a perfectly preserved remnant of the massive outer retainer walls that encompassed the Temple itself. Originally over 1500 feet long and 100 feet high, the Western Wall was one of four incredibly massive walls that not only protected the Temple, but also supported a massive platform which covered an area equivalent to 15 football fields and upon which the 200 foot high marble and gold Temple stood.

    Wasn’t the Temple destroyed by the Romans?
    Indeed, the Temple building itself – considered one of the wonders of the ancient world – was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 A.D. But the platform upon which the Temple stood, covering an area of 15 football fields, and the outer retainer walls, were preserved. It was just too massive to totally demolish. The smallest of the stones in the Western Wall weigh 3 tons each, the largest about 500 tons- as much as 10 fully loaded semi-trailer trucks!

    Why do we pray at the Western Wall? Why this spot?
    It is important to understand, that this place is Mount Moriahitself, where Abraham brought Isaac, almost 4000 years ago. About 1000 years after Abraham, King Solomon was given the privilege of building the Temple here, permanently replacing the desert Tabernacle. The Bible tells us that upon completing the Temple, ruach elohim- the spirit of God- filled the House. Otherwise it would have remained just a beautiful man-made building.

    Shekinah: Divine Presence
    In other words, the Shekinah- the Divine Presence- is intimately associated with the area. Indeed, the Temple is called “Beit HaMikdash” in Hebrew, which means “House of Holiness”. God is pure holiness; divine holiness came to rest here. God, Yahweh- HaShem- chose this place- it is unique in all the world! Two thousand years ago Jewish people prayed at the Temple itself. Today, the gold-domed Mosque of Omar stands over the spot and is closed to non-Moslems for prayer purposes. While we cannot pray on the Temple Mount itself, we can do so at the Western Wall. There we literally touch a remnant of the Temple complex and connect with our roots, faith, and heritage.