Bentleys in Israel: Temple Mount with Melissa

Melissa arrived! After months of anticipation, our youngest daughter came on Thurs., 4/21/11. She shared this trip with Dan Jennejohn, a good friend from D.C. Their Delta flight was delayed for 8 hours in London, so they arrived very late. We started early the next day, Fri. 4/22/11, by touring the Temple Mount in Old City Jerusalem. This was also our first visit there since arriving last Sept. How great to do this the same week as Easter and Passover!

The Mughrabi (Moroccan") Bridge. After entering Dung Gate in the Jewish Quarter, this bridge next to the Western Wall Plaza is the only way non-Muslims may access the Temple Mount -- thru the former Moroccan Quarter.

Ascending to the Mount: A long ramp near Dung Gate had a good view of Jews praying at the Western Wall -- their most sacred site nearest to the 2nd Temple, destroyed by Romans in 70 AD.

David & Solomon's 1st Temple was built after 1,000 BC and was destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC, leaving no trace at all. The Jews yearn to build their 3rd (and holiest) Temple on this same Mt., now controlled by the Waqf (a Muslim religious order). This is the most hotly contested religious site in the world.

Once on the mount, a local Muslim guided us around, for a fee. [Many photos on this post are used courtesy of our friend Morris Thurston at: www.morristhurston.com/blog]

Dome of the Rock. This is the world's oldest shrine built by Muslims (691 AD). It honors Muhammed's Night Journey to Jerusalem on his magic steed Al Buraq and his ascent to heaven (621 AD). The wooden dome was covered with lead, then copper / aluminum alloy -- then with 80 kilos of gold leaf paid by Jordan's King Hussein after he sold a palace in 1965 for $8.2 M.

Its elaborate Turkish tiles, installed by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1545 to replace the damaged originals, were again replaced in the 1950s. It has a marble base.

Within the Dome is the rock. Perhaps Abraham offered his son there and the Temple holy of holies was near. Due to civil unrest, non-Muslims can not enter any bldgs. here now, as we did in 1981.)

Beneath the Rock is this small natural "Cave of Souls" with the world's oldest mihrab pointing toward Mecca as the direction in which to pray.

Above ground is a larger mihrab pointing towards Mecca's sacred shrine (Ka'aba) -- supposedly founded by Abraham & son Ishmael. [See Nov. post, "More Muslim, Jewish and Christian Events."]

Adjacent to Dome of the Rock is Dome of the Chain -- a treasury and prayer house, also a proportional model for the larger Dome. In Islamic tradition, a chain may connect heaven with earth there, stopping the sinful and letting the just pass through.

El Aksa Mosque. This Muslim worship hall (built 701 AD) is their 3rd most sacred in the world, after Mecca and Medina (where Muhammed lived most of his life, dying in 632 AD.)

It seems quite plain next to the Dome of the Rock. Fronting its main entry is the "ablution fountain" used to wash before entering to pray.

Devout Muslims of many different attires, ages and genders come here.

Many non-Muslim tourists -- like these school children, some Buddhist monks and us -- also come.

Other peripheral structures include Roman, Byzantine and Crusader ruins, gates, walls and cisterns.

The Third Temple? Some zealots believe the Dome of the Rock covers the holy of holies and must eventually be replaced by the Jewish Third Temple. Some scholars are not convinced that "the Rock" was even within the temple at all. No matter, there is plenty of room for additional facilities on the 40-acre site.