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- Stand on the rock of
Mount Moriah
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Mount
Moriah is where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.
Just as Abraham lifted the knife to slay his son, a
voice cried out, “Lay not thy hand upon the lad” and
a ram that was caught in a thicket was sacrificed
instead of Isaac. Nearly a thousand years
later, Mount Moriah was the threshing floor of
Araunah the Jebusite. King
David bought the threshing floor for fifty shekels
of silver, as recorded in Second Samuel chapter 24.
It’s believed that the Dome of the Rock is built
over the rock of Mount Moriah. Although the Dome of
the Rock is closed to Jewish and Christian pilgrims,
one can see and even stand on the bedrock under the
Dome of the Spirits, just north west of the Dome of
the Rock. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The "floor" of the Dome of the
Spirits is the rock of Mount Moriah |
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- Walk along the plaza
above “Solomon’s Stables” and try to imagine the
huge underground vaults put into place by Herod
the Great’s builders
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| “Solomon’s Stables” is a folk name given by the
Crusaders to underground halls, arches and vaults
which support the artificial Temple Mount platform
in the south. Herod had wanted to level the
mount so that tens of thousands of pilgrims could
congregate in the courtyard during the pilgrimage
festivals. Above Solomon’s Stables, many
moneychangers operated in the temple courtyard at
the time of Jesus. See the Gospel of Mark,
chapter 11. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Standing above Solomon's Stables,
looking at the Al Aqsa Mosque |
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Tour the Temple
Mount with
Gila's MP3
audio tour in the
company of Abraham and Isaac, David and Solomon,
Jesus and the disciples, the angel Gabriel and
Mohammed. Meet many other luminaries,
both real and legendary.
Gila's Temple Mount tour
is now available as a written
24-page PDF with a
Temple Mount plan,
guidelines for passing the security check
and ten recommended reads on the
Temple Mount from Gila's bookshelves.
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- Stroll along
Solomon’s Portico by the eastern wall
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| Solomon’s Portico by the eastern wall is where Jesus
would have spoken with multitudes of pilgrims during
Tabernacles and Hanukkah. (See the Gospel of John
and if you like,
email me asking to receive my FREE
highlight on Solomon’s Portico). First century AD
Jewish-Roman historian Josephus identifies Solomon’s
Portico as being on the east. |
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- Peek into the El Aqsa
Mosque
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| For now, the El Aqsa, built in 711 by Omayyid caliph
al Walid, is closed to Jews and Christians. But if
you look carefully, you will find a place to peek in.
The building is huge and the carpets were a gift
from the King of Morocco. More specific directions
for peeking are given on
itsGila Temple Mount audio tour. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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A peek inside the Al Aqsa Mosque |
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- Check out the Tomb of
King Abdullah
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On July 20,1951 Abdullah, King of Jordan was killed
by Palestinian assassins as he was attending a
Friday prayer service at the Al Aqsa. Hussein’s
survivor story is recounted in
Gila's Temple Mount audio tour.
(Also available in PDF format)
King Abdullah’s Tomb is on the western side of the
Haram, which is what the Temple Mount is called in
Arabic. The tomb can be identified by the Jordanian flag
adorning the elaborate Jerusalem stone-work.
It's just north of the Gate of the Cotton Merchants. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The Dome of the Chain is located to
the east of the Dome of the Rock |
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- Stand at the center
of the Dome of the Chain
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| The Dome of the Chain was the first structure built
on the Temple Mount or the Haram es-Sheriff (meaning
the Noble Sanctuary in Arabic) at the end of the
seventh century AD. The center of the
Dome of the Chain is believed to mark the center of
the universe. It is, in fact, the center of the
Temple Mount. For the legend of the chain and King
David’s tribunal, listen to
itsGila Temple Mount
audio tour. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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View from the inside of the Dome
of the Chain |
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- Admire the
calligraphy on the Dome of the Rock
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At the top of the octagonal structure of the Dome of
the Rock, below the 24-carat gold dome, is the first
verse of Sura 17 which tells of Mohammed's
miraculous night journey to Jerusalem.
During much of the Islamic period, Muslim artists
did not portray human or animal figures. Thus
evolved a highly stylized art of calligraphy. |
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According to a ninth century Arab historian,
Mohammed's transport to Jerusalem was named al Burak
meaning lightning. Al Burak was a white beast,
between a mule and an ass in size, with two wings on
its thighs. The beast had the face of a woman, the
body of a horse, ears of emerald, eyes of gleaming
pearl and the tail of a peacock. Mohammed journeyed
together on al Buraq with the Prophet Gabriel to the
"farther" mosque. Al Aqsa means "the farther."
The mosque dedicated to Mohammed's steed is called
Masdjd al Burak. It’s located right inside the Mograbi Gate
on the left where you enter the Temple Mount.
It's said that Mohammed tied al Burak at the
southwest corner of the Haram. |
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| For the most spectacular views with the sun rising
in the east, it’s best to be as early as possible on
the Temple Mount. During much of the year, the
Temple Mount opens Sundays through Thursday at 7.30
a.m. By reporting early, you can also beat the
crowds of pilgrims. It’s definitely worthwhile! |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Early morning at the Dome of the
Rock before the crowds arrive |
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- Don’t forget to ponder the mystery of the
location of the Ark of the Covenant
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| On every tour of the Temple Mount, I am asked about
the location of the Ark of the Covenant. I
reply first that only Indiana Jones knows for sure! But
then when we get more serious, I share the
Jewish Talmudic point of view. I’ll just have to keep you
in suspense for now, until you
come on tour with
me.... |
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Tour the Temple
Mount in the
company of Abraham and Isaac, David and Solomon,
Jesus and the disciples, the angel Gabriel and
Mohammed -- and Gila. Meet many other luminaries,
both real and legendary.
Gila's Temple Mount tour
is now available as a written
24-page PDF with a
Temple Mount plan,
guidelines for passing the security check
and ten recommended reads on the
Temple Mount from Gila's bookshelves.
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During Gila's
Temple Mount audio tour, you will hear an intriguing
story related to the following sites: |
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Copyright 2009,
2016
Gila Yudkin. Permission needed to reprint in
any medium. |
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