LEEN and KATHLEEN RITMEYERKE 1S TEMPLE MOUNT » LEEN AND KATHLEEN RITMEYER with foreword by Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review Riblinal Aechaanlane Canine Washington, DC 1149he site of ancient Israel's holy Temple is uncovered stone by stone in this special selection of groundbreaking articles from the pages of Biblical Archaeology Review. Discover the hidden secrets of SOM CU mc M nee cS MOM UMC em Neer Ccrcd the Ark of the Covenant once stood and where Jesus overturned the tables of ‘the money changers. SASL OMe a CON Remy LCT cece ee oem CO AC | LIU CLUS LU (Am OTE Ril lols) cl Cee) us about this holy ground. Dr. Ritmeyer is the world’s leading authority on the EIU eRe UT eka RLU See secs aC) TELUS Cle ESOL LU Rec) including a forthcoming book on the Temple Mount, and the preparation of a eT cu RCO emu ULM The Biblical Archaeology Society was founded in 1974 as a nonprofit, nondenominat CEC e eae ay the education and dissemination of information about coon sia the s Se ea aoa COUR aman Se ee ccat ey n, Bible Review, offers critical and historical interpretations of biblical texts. rs _ eRe e(0 PeeteCONTENTS Foreword v I. Reconstructing Herod’s Temple Mount in Jerusalem 1 Il. A Pilgrims Journey 21 IIL. Quarrying and Transporting Stones for Herod's Temple Mount 24 IV. Reconstructing the Triple Gate 7 V. Locating the Original Temple Mount 32 VI. The Ark of the Covenant: Where It Stood in Solomon's Temple 56LUND WwWUIALY Jerusalem. Here was the site of Solomon's magnificent Temple, the House of the Lord. Here the exiles returned from Babylonia and built their modest Second Temple. And here Herod, called the Great, rebuilt the Second Temple as one of the wonders of the world. Here Jesus walked and turned over the tables of the EF: other archaeological sites hold the fascination of the Temple Mount in money changers. Does this entirely explain the extraordinary fascination of the site? Not quite. Perhaps it is the tension between how little is known and how much could be known. ‘The evidence is there. But the site has not even been surveyed—looked at—for more than a century and a quarter, and no westerner is permitted to see it. And of course exca- vations, even small probes, are forbidden. The site is now graced by one of the most breathtaking buildings from the ancient world to have survived wholly intact—the Dome of the Rock, built in the eighth century by the city’s Arab rulers. The Crusaders turned it into a church when they conquered Jerusalem, but now, once again, the Moslems control the Dome of the Rock, as well as the huge platform on which it sits, which they call Haram el-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and much of the world calls the Temple Mount. So we are largely dependent on history books, Englishman Charles Warren's survey in the 1860s, and visible clues on and around the Temple Mount for an understanding of the site that holds so much of our common past. Yer, surprisingly, there is much to be learned despite these limitations. Through the careful detective work of Leen Ritmeyer, an intrepid Dutchman who lived in Jerusalem for 16 years (and in Israel a total of 22 years), we can piece these clues together into an essentially new picture. Ritmeyer started out as an architect. He still is. But in 1973 he succeeded Brian Lalor as the architect attached to the mammoth archaeological excavation south of the Temple Mount, begun in 1967, after the Six-Day War, by Professor Benjamin Mazar of Hebrew University. Ritmeyer continued as architect to the expedition until 1978, when the excavation ended. In 1989 he left for England to pursue a doctorate in archaeology at the University of Manchester, earning his Ph.D. in 1992. He is now revising his dissertation in light of recent discoveries he has made, The subject: the Temple Mount, of course. By now he is the world’s leading expert on the archaeology of the Temple Mount.Ritmeyer is ultimately interested in the Temple itself. But his method was to first understand the Temple Mount, in the hope that this would lead hint co better under- stand where the Temple was located. This, in cur, has enabled him to identify the very spot where the Ark of the Covenant rested. | should immediately add that there is no certainty in these things, but I do believe that he has come as close as anyone has to solving these problems. And he doesn't simply make assertions; he gives you his rea soning. So you can reach your own conclusion, based on the evidence. I, for one, think he makes quite a good case. But, in a way, that’s beside the point. Much of the excitement lies in the journey. You will learn so much along the way, regardless of the decision reached at the end of the line. The development of the Temple Mount is, in itself, a fascinating story, told here for virtually the firse time. Ritmeyer also provides a comprehensive description of the excavations all around the Temple Mount, painting a vivid pic- ture of life in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and Herod the Great. You will even learn about the geography of Jerusalem. And all this is supplemented by Kathleen Ritmeyer’s lovely description of a walk through Jerusalem at the curn of the era. Once the Temple Mount has been reconstructed, it is possible to consider from an entirely new viewpoint where the Temple was located. Ritmeyer digs into the century- old records of Sir Charles Warren, who carefully examined and meticulously recorded all the nooks and crannies, the cisterns and tunnels, the holes and dead ends of the Temple Mount. With Warren's records and his understanding of the Temple Mount’s development, Ritmeyer is able to identify the site of the ‘Temple. Finally, he takes the last step—locating the exact spot where the Ark of the Covenant rested. Time and again, he will surprise you with the new evidence he is able to identify. It is there—why hadn't anyone noticed it before? The journey you are about to take is an exciting one. It is also demanding, But ic will well repay the effort. Learn and enjoy. And be inspired. Hershel Shanks Editor, Biblical Archaeology ReviewDiscovered by the British ngineer-excavator Charles Wilson in the mid- 19th century, Wilson's Arch (3) supported a bridge and ‘aqueduct that spanned the Tyropocon Valley to connect the Temple Mount with the Upper City. Today's arch is apparently 2 later restoration rather than the orignal Herodian structure. Originally the arch rose some 74 feet above the bedrock ofthe Tyropoeon Valley, but paral filling of the alley has reduced the arch’ Reght to 25 feet above the present pavement. The arch is 45 fect wide. Today the reconstructed arch shelters an area where Jeus pray and where Torah scrols—often carved oudoors to be ‘read inthe plaza before the wester wall— are stored. The frs-centey A.D. historian Josephus mentions the Hasmonean forerunner ofthis bridge in connection with the Roman siege of Jerusalem by Pompey in (63 B.C. The Hasmenean forces rereated into the Temple area and “ut the bridge.” ashlars are visible above the 1035 fet prayer plaza in front of the ‘western wall. Below the plaza level are 19 additional courses of Herodian ashlas, ‘This means that bedrock lies 7 > 68 feet below the i N § 1e shafts dug. by 2 F Waren adjacent to che wall i. * show us how many courses lie below the surface, These shafts can still be seen north of the prayer ares, They are well li; coins thrown by 912 et tourists reflect from the Plan of Temple Mount Wall prose) Ic is not difficue to distinguish Herodian ashlars from those of later periods above them. Herodian. masonry has a fine finish, a flat, slightly raised cencer boss and typical flat margins around the edges. The stones were ccut with such precison thar no mortar was needed to fir them together perfectly. Some of these ashlars are as much as 35 feet long and weigh up to 70 cons. North of the open prayer area, under overhead construction, is Wilson’s Arch (3), named after Charles Wilson, the British engineer who first discovered it in the mid-I9th century. As it exists today it is probably not Herodian, but a later restoration, the frst of a series of arches buile to support a bridge chat spanned che ‘Tyropoeon Valley, linking the Temple Mount with the Upper City to the west In Herodian times, an aqueduct also ran over this causeway, bringing water from “Solomon's Pools” (not really Solomonic) near Bechle hhem ro the huge cisterns chat lay beneath the Temple plarfort Moving south from Wikon's Arch, we come toa gate in the western wall, Known today as Barclay's Gate (4), after its discoverer—J. T. Barclay, a British architect who worked in Jerusalem a short'time ‘before Wilson and Warren—it has been almost completely preserved. The only section now visible, however, is the northern Half of its massive lintel (almost 27 feet long and 7 feet Ihigh) and che top chee stones ofits northern doorpost. ‘These form part of the western wall at the southern end of the area today reserved for women (by Orthodox Jewish law, men and women worship separately). The remainder of che gate is obscured by the earthen ramp leading up to the Moor’s Gate, which is the present- day access to the Temple Mount from this area We know the level of the original threshold of Barelay’s Gate from Warren's records. Our excavation revealed the level of the Herodian street in front of the gace. There isa difference of about 13 feet between the level of the street and the level of the threshold of Barclay’s Gate. This difference rather baffled us unel another bit of seemingly trivial information, recorded by the indefatigable Warten, provided che missing piece of the puzzle Warten tells us that while digging in the area, he saw the remains of a vaulted chamber protruding from below che threshold of Barcay’s Gate. Warren assumed that this must have been part of a lower viaduct that crossed the Tyropoeon Valley, but on a much smaller scale than the bridge supported by Wikon’s Arch, ‘Additional clues from our excavation have led us to conclude that this vaule supported a staircase that led up to Barclay's Gate from the main Herodian street. ‘Ac the southern comer of the western wall, we found a flight of six steps, 10 feet wide, leading north, Somewhat farther north (about 46 south ofGATE Although most of Barclay’ Gate (4) survives, lite of it can be see today. Named for its discoverer, the 19th-century Brits archivece J.T. Barclay, this pate in the westem wall of the Temple Mount has ‘mostly disappeared behind ater construction and bencath the visen strat level. The sketch (elo, top right) indicates the original Herodian elements aisle ix the larger photo, as well asthe unseen parts of the ‘ate, Seven courses of Herdian ashlas are tsble in che westem wall. The frst three ‘courses above placa level formed the uber bart of the gates northern dowrpst. Small stones now black half ofthe upper part of the gae’s former doorway. The other half of the blocked doorway is obscured by the earthen ramp and wall lading up tothe Moor’s Gate, the presen acess f the Temple Mount. The wall at igh in the larger photo, perpendicular to the Temple Mount’s westem wall, supports the amp. A, sgn is visible, upper right, above the arch of the Moor's Gate. Almost haf of Barclay's Gate's massive linc is visible (outined in the photo}, extending from above the doorpost across the ap of the blocked doorway. In its entvety, the nel measures ‘ebout 27 feet lng and 7 fet high. Excavation in frnt of Barclays Gate rewaled thatthe Heredian main rest (6) (amatter photo) in frome of the gate lies 13 eet lower than the gates orginal threshold, Te had been a mystery how people reached Barelay’s Gate from the main srt, so far ‘below But now we have an answer. The reconsructon drawing (below, bottom right) shows Barclay’s Gate as it would appear if sliced down the middle, and then viewed from the north. A vaulted chamber besween the main street and the ste threshold above apparently supported an Upper street and a stairway from the main sree. This upper sreet ran along the western wall from the southwest corner (here steps leading up tothe upper strest ‘were fans se pho, p. 13) 20 Warren's Gate (23). The space beneath the upper street was probably partitioned into small roms by walls built perpendicularly tothe west wall. Two such walle were excavated. These rooms may have been shops (5), serving the busting waffc of plgrims cand residents, ate threshold /Parclay’s Gate), we found rwo walls built perpendicular © the westem wall, A row of many similar walls perpendicular to the southern wall, had been found earlier, These we assume to be the remains of commercial premises frequented by visitors to the Temple. If that is true, the ewo walls perpendicular to the western wall probably also formed part ofa similar arrangement of small cells on this side (5). The flight of steps at che southern end of the western wall must therefore have led up to a narrow street that ran oer the roofs of these shops. Finally, the vault observed by Warren must have carried a staircase that connected the lower street (the main street (61) with this narcow Upper street, giving access to Barclay’s Gate. Thus, the \S-foor difference between the level of the main Herodian street and the threshold of Barclay's Gate was now explained, The faet chat the main Herodian street stopped short of the western wall by 10 feet strongly supports this reconstruction. The small shops adjacent to the western and southern walls formed part of the Upper and Lower Markets ofthe city, as described by Josephus. The main Herodian street ran from Damascus Gate in the north to the Siloam Pool in the south, through the Tyropocon Valley; the shogs adjacent to the western wall of the ‘Temple Moune fronted on this street. The nexe element we will eximine is Robinson's Arch (2), which protrudes from the western wall south of Barclay’s Gate, In fact, Robinson's Arch is barely the spring of the arch, in contrast co Wilson's Arch, which is complete. Robinson's Arch is named after the American orientalist Edward Robinson, who in his travels in Palestine in the second third of the 19th century correctly identified dozens and dozens of Biblical sices. le was he who frst identified this arch thar bears his name, From its discovery until the time of our excavation, it was generally assumed that Robinson's Arch was che first of a series of arches that supported another causeway spanning the Tyropoeon Valley in the same way as the bridge that began at Wilson's Arch, ‘Ac the beginning of our excavations, a hypothetical reconstruetion based on this theory was indeed drawn up. However, when we found no other piers in addition to those that had supported Robinson's Arch, and that had already been discovered by Warren, we tuned in perplexity to Josephus. He described the gate to the Temple Moune that must have existed above Robin= son’s Arch as follows: “The tase gate [in the western wall] led to the other city where the road descended dowm ineo the valley by means of a great manber of steps and thence up again by the ascene” (W,, Antiquities of the Jeus 15.115), According to Josephus, chis gate led from the Temple Mount, not over the Tyropocon Valley via a bridge to the Upper City (8) on the west, but rather to "the valley” below by means of “a great number of steps.” Access to the “other city,” the Upper City on the west, was obviously via steps leading up from the valley, Excavations proved the accuracy of Josephus's description. The archaeologists discovered a series of Piers of arches of graduated height, ascending from south co north. The arches were equidistant. At the top is a turn eastward over Robinson's Arch. On this basis a monumental stairnay has been ceconsteucted, leading from the Royal Stoa (9) on the Temple Mount down to the street in the Tyropoeon Valley. From there done could ascend to the Upper City or south to the Lower City Beneath Robinson's Arch, weights, coins, stone vessels and other evidence of commercial activity were found in four small cells. Above the lintel of the entrance to each of these shops was a relieving arch, designed to distribute the downvard pressure of the superstructure.* The stairway that ascended over Robinson's Arch provided an impressive entrance to the Royal Seoa, which Herod built on the southern end of the Temple Mounc. Josephus describes this royal portico in some derail ewish Antiquities 15.11.5). Ie was built in the shape of a basilica with four rows of 40 columns each Each of the huge columns in this veritable forest of columns was 50 feet high. The thickness of each was such, Josephus cells us, “that it would take three men with outstretched arms touching one another to envelop ic” (L, Jewish Anciguites 15.11.5). Fragments of columns found in the excavation validate Joseph's description. Most of these fragments, however, had been reused in later Byzantine and Islamic buildings. {Ic was probably from this Royal Stoa that Jesus “drove out all who sold and bought in che Temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘leis written, “My house shall be called the house of prayer"; but you make it a den of thieves’ (Matthew 21:12-13; also compare Mark 11:15-1 Luke 19:45-46) Lying on the main north-south street adjacent co the ‘western wall, the excavators found massive amounts of rubble, testifying to the extensive destruction of the complex inflicted by the Roman general Titus in 70 AD. Among the various architectural remains found in 7A reliving, oF dschary- ‘arch isan aech bu nto the wal hove the intl of a doorway. Without ity the presto he wall eonstrc: tion would break che lintel sone. The relieving arch diverts che pressure that ‘somes from above through the arch stones to che se rt of che opening, iy trated in the drawing at rahe. Atows show divers of presure fem aboveDiscovered by Edward Robinson (1794- 1863), often hailed asthe “father of Biblical geography” (below), Robinson's Arch (7) was assumed wo be the first of several supporting a bridge over the ‘Tyropocon Valley from the Temple Mount to the Upper City, similar tothe bridge that began at Wilson's Arch (3). Before ‘excavation, only a trace of an axch's spring (below, right), jutting from the deeply Buried western wal, hinted at the original Herodian sirygture, Excavation wncovered the full extent of the arch’s spring the protruding stones halfway up she wal at left (oppesie), bout filed ro find the piers that would have supported « bridge across the wally. Instead, the archacologiss discovered a series of piers of graduated height in a north-south line south of Robinson's Arch. The piers were supports forthe arches of @ morasmental ‘airway, which led up from the main street jn the walley and then tured right to the ‘entrance tothe Royal Staa. Robinson's Arch, tn this reconstruction (right), would have supported the upper portion of the stairway, ‘attached to the Temple Mewnt wall. Shaded ‘areas in the drowing idenify Herodian remains visible today.the rubble were steps from the original monumental stairway, archstones, columns, capitals, friezes and pilasters. These pilasters are of special interest because they confirm the architectural style of the wall of the Temple Mount: flat in the lower part, wich pilasters, ‘or engaged pillars (10), in the upper part. These rectangular engaged pillars were set into the wall and topped with capitals ‘A complete Herodian wall in this same style has survived intact in the structure surrounding the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Machpelah) in Hebron.* (On the Herodian street near the southwest corner ‘of the Temple Mount, the excavators found a large stone block with a Hebrew inscription carved on it. Unfortunately, the end of the inscription is not on this * See Nancy Miler, "Paearchal Burial See Explored for Fst Time 1m 700 Yeas" BAR, May/jne 1985; and Dan Bat, "Does the Holy Sepulchre Church Mark che Burl of Jesus” BAR, Mayijune 1986, ‘The largest structure on the Temple Mount, this grand hall extended acro the southern formed an open colonnade, no a wall as on fragment. The piece containing the final letters of the inscription had broken off, leaving the inscription open to various interpretations. The surviving part of the inscription can be vocalied Ubet hatgia hak ..., which may be. translated “to the place of trumpeting Take...” Various possibilities have been suggested to complete Vhak—Tha-kohn (for the priest Uhekal (toward the temple); or U'hakriz (to herald [the Sabbath)).** Whatever the correct ending, it is clear chat this inscription was a direction to the place where che priest stood to blow the trumpec to announce the commence ment of the Sabbath and feast-days as mentioned in Josephus (The Jewish War 4.9.12). Mose scholars have assumed that the direction was for the priest himself to mark the place where he was to stand. Another possiblity, however, is suggested by craces of fine white * See Aaron Demsky, “When the Pres Trampeced the Onset of the Sabbath,” BAR, November/Decerber 1986, end of the great platform, from eat to west (Gee drawing, pp. 14-15). Bul inthe syle of «basilica, the sta was divided into @ fexntral nave and side aisles by four rows of 40 columns each (plan, righ’). ‘One row consisted of pilasters built into the southern wall. A second rows 40 monoliths topped by Corinthian capitals, created an aisle adjacent tothe nave. A third ow divided the nave from an aisle on the other side, The fourth, northernmast roe the southern side. Through this open row of columns one could proceed into the Temple ‘At the eastein end of the nave, the apse (drawing below) was the sting for meetings ofthe Sanhedrin—the supreme Jeuich legislative, relgious and judicial body. Tn his proud deserition of the Temple Mount, Jews XV:430) underground passagewaysThe vonean v A fragment ofa stone veel (two views, below, right), found in the fill near the southern wall, bears the insribed seord keba (Korban), which means “sacrifice.” As seen in this wax impression (below, lef, wo crudely draum bied, identified as pigeons or 3 Pia Rectangular engaged pillars, or pilasters, decorated the upper portion ofthe Temple Mont wall (10). Ar example from another Herodian structure, the enclosure wall of the tomb of the patriarchs (Machpelah) in Hebron, appears inthe drawing at right Remains of the Temple Mount pilasters were found in the rubble in front ofthe pier of Robinson's Arch (below). In thie wie we stand in front ofthe Temple Mounts western wal, out of sight at lower left. The crenelated southern wall of the Old City ‘appears at upper let. The large, broken & So doves, ato appear, upsidedown and below the word, onthe fragment. The vessel may have been wed in connection with sacrifice to celebrate the birth of a child, since these birds were traditional offerings on. ‘uch an occasion. The sal of these rds wa stone inthe foreground i wall fragment swith a piece of a protruding plaster i He in fron ofthe nearly buried enrance to one ofthe shops beneath the upper sret. The shop's beautifully dressed lel is topped by ‘wo somi-cirular stones Jus othe lef of the semi-circular tone on the lef is another pilaster fragment, with fine caved margins At lower left three stone steps formerly supported by Robinson's Arch (bearing red ‘denifcation musbers) lie where they fell, sill n neat order. targeted by Jesus when he “rove out all twho sold and bought inthe Temple, and he ‘overturned the tables of the moneychangers ‘and the seats of those who sold doves” (Matthews 21:12; Mark 11:15). PAP) AGAaf PLA ata “Many courses of fine Herodian masonry still, stand at the southwest comer of the Temple “Mount (opposite, top). Beneath the umexcavated bank of earth abutting the Temple Mount’s western wall four steps are ‘exposed —the first in a stairway. This stairway once ascended toa narrow street that ran over the rooftops of a row of shops (5) along the Temple Mount’s western seal Another, major street (6) ran in front of the shops. ‘On the smooth paving stones of the Heerodian stret in front of the steps, at the right of the photo, a wooden frame erected bby the excavators protects a large stone that fell there in 70 A.D. The eight-fot-long ashlar bears a dramatic, but incomplete, ‘Hebrew inscription (right, “to the place of ‘trumpeting to (or “for”] ...” Although the ‘excavators who discovered the stone in 1969 ‘made an eamest search forthe missing fragment, i¢ was never fond. Very likely 4» 19th-eentury "explorer archaeologist Charles Warren (left) inadvertently broke the stone. Digging his Satan —_ Bepane vis ity wallExtension ‘eastom wall nd adjoins itis bonded to) the nartheastorsexe continued from page 45 had stood. The Hasmonean stones have been laid in a “header and scretcher™ fashion, indicating a corner construction. There is no doube that this masoncy is earlier than the Herodian masonry south of it. We know this not only because of the obvious corner construction and the two different types of masonry on either side of the straight joint, but, in addition, a careful examina tion of the Hasmoncan stones north of che straight joint shows chat parts of theie southern margins were cut away at several places to create a better key to fit into the Herodian stones south of the straight joint. This Hasmonean masonry extends underground, believe, for 132 feet north of the sraighe joint co the previously mentioned bend in che eastern wall, that is, to che soucheast comer of the original, square ‘Temple Mourn. From che straight joine, the Hasmonean wall appar- encly curned west uncil it met with the extension of the west wall of the original square Temple Mount, ‘The Hasmonean Temple Mount was mos likely em- bollished under Hellenistic influence with porticoes all around" and with tunnels that gave access 0 the original gateways in the southem wall of the square ‘Temple Mount—the Huldah Gates mentioned in the Mishnah."* The E-shaped cistern, previously mentioned, helps confirm this Hasmonean extension to the square Temple Mount. Just northwest of the E-shaped cis- tem, the cistern of the Akra, is the largest of the cisterns under the Temple Mount, Warren's cistern 8, known as the “Great Sea.” Unfortunately, the cisterns under the Temple Mount are inaccessible today be- cause of Muslim religious and political senscivities, ‘Accordingly, we have to be content with a fairly one- dimensional view of them, However, on a recent visi¢ to the London office of the Palestine Exploration Fund, I saw not only the original records of Warren, ‘Wilson, Conder, et., bur also a painting of the “Great Sea” by William Simpson, who had'been sent out ¢0 Jerusalem as illustrator for the Mdusrated London News (Ele was known as “Crimea” Simpson because of his experiences in the Crimean War). This painting is published here (on page 44) for che frst cime."* ‘Apart from adding to our “feel” for the under- ground cisterns, now tantalizingly inaccessible, careful Study of the painting and a comparison with the plans of the underground cisterns led to a valuable confir- mation of the Hasmonean extension. ‘Simpson's painting shows a view to the north in- side the gigantic cistern, The entrance was from the south, reached by a narrow staircase chat begins just + Serer ate id lengthen she al, he Jong side ing ut endo dw he ot eng ot ln "heer and ech onstrution, Reader and sustheraetnas Ths gies a wal much (gee engin epeely where ned oer ‘The Double and Tipe Gates om the southem wall ofthe Herodian ‘Temple Mounc tha cn al be denied ge Feeney, but ico feng ceed to athe Hush Gate, The Hil Gaus mensoned AEE ec a etn al hoe se ‘Temple Mone ‘outside (south) of the square Temple Mount. The ‘entrance was apparently dug on the site of che de- seroyed Akra. The cavern seems co be mostly rock-cut ‘with columns left in place for support; its curious shape indicates chat it may have incorporated earlier cisterns or caverns. The plans also show it co have several shafs to the surface, two of which are visible in the painting. Warren records the depth of the cis- tern as 43 feet. Apart fom the entrance, the cistern was protected under the original Temple Mount. If the Greae Sea cistern had been in existence at the time of the building of the Akra, it would have been unnecessary to build che E-shaped cistern (cistern 11), which, as we have seen, was cut especially to supply the Seleucid garrison with water. [c cherefore follows that the Great Sea cistern was built after the destruc tion of the Akra and the subsequent Hasmonean ex- tension of the Temple Mount to the south. (The cutting of this ciscemn may have supplied the stones for the Hasmonean extension.) This cisuemn may be ‘one of the thres described in Mishnah Eruoin 10:14: “They {the Priests] may draw water with a wheel on. the Sabbath from the Golah-cistern and from the Great Cistern, and fom the Cistern of the Akra on 1 Festival-day.” We have already identified the Cistern of the Akra with cistern 11 and we have reason co suggest thac cistern 5 can be identified with che Golah-cistern. The cistern picuured in Simpson's painting is chere- fore probably the one described in Eruvin as the Great Cistern, ‘Our location of the square Temple Mount and the Hasmonean extension illuminates the way in which Herod the Great extended the Temple Mount as it stood at the beginning of his reign. Herod's excension also tends to confirm the location of che square Temple Mount. ‘The northern wall of Herod's Temple Mount was completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. when they conquered Jerusalem, burned the Temple and cffecively ended the First Jewish Revolt (although the ‘Masada rebels held out for three mote years). How- eve, the northeast comer hat been preserved and together with che rocky foundations of the Anconia eee he omen comer? ees ws wo dew the northern wall’s line. “Herod's northern addition ro the Temple Mount ‘explains a strange notice in Middot 1:3 chat “che Tadi gate (on she north} has no purpose at all” This was probably because the Tadi gate was the norchern gate of the original square Temple Mount. When Herod buried this area with fill to create his norchern court, the Tadi gate was completely buried and thus ren- dered useless." ‘At the northwest comer of his enlarged Temple Mount, on 2 rock scarp, Herod built the Antonia fortess, named for Mark Antony. This site is now ‘occupied by che Omariya School. Ics location, fist suggested by Father Pierre Benoit,” has been widely accepted. SLMois 19 LIKE A MOVING TARGET, pase researchers have shi shape i the the Mount, at its center. The dashed lines represen th ‘al Temple Mount platform fom the time af the Fist by the various theorists; the ‘the Temple Mount’ largest open space “was x the su atop cs Salhra, where the Dome of the Rock is today. (0s theorists, see endnote 29 amp. 54.) 32 fc the precise loea- ofthe original Temple Mount. Shown here are» dozen theories cl inauthor Leen Ritmeyecs proposal. Shown in black ae the Temple id the Muslim platform within eas they appear today, me of the Rock with the ex Sacha rack, the highest point of «location ofthe org ‘Temple a put forth hed T-shape indicates where within the plate form they placed the Temple itself Riemeyer, noting chat the Mishnah ys th, second linge fhe ext third largest, a& the north, and least a the west” locates the Temple (For cations to vac the octagonal ‘The western wall of Herod’s extension still exists for che fall lengeh (as does the southern wal), so ie is a simple maccet to extend the northern wall to the point where it would meet che western wall From Herod’s western wall, the Temple Mount could be ascended through two lower gates, now called Warren's Gate and Barclay’s Gate, after the scholars who discovered and idencifed them. (Two upper gaces were built over Wilson's Arch and Robinson's Arch.) In an earlier BAR article, my wife Kathleen and 1 discussed the external problems relating to Barclay’s Gate. The internal problems are just as fascinating. From Barcay’s Gate, a subterrancan internal stairway led up to the surface of che Temple Mount, opening on the western Temple court (see plans on pages 40 and 42), Similar underground passageways led up to the Temple Mount fom the Double and Teiple sates fon the southern wall, but these passageways are sight. The underground stairway from Barclay’s Gare is L-shaped. Staring at the gace, the passageway proceeds in an easterly direction for 84 feet inside the wall. Here, in Warren's cisteen 19, Warren describes a flat dome over the passageway at this point. The Passageway then tums south; its continuation is found in Warren's cistern 20, from which the sucface of the ‘Temple Mount was probably reached ‘The eastern wall of the passageway at the poine where it curns south under the flat dome has 2 dis- incr barter that is, each higher couse of stones in the eastern wall of cistern 19 is se in slightly from the one below. (Incidentally, the Herodian Temple Moune wall also fas a bactez) The wall with a bacer in cistern 19 appears to be the western wall of the Hasmonean Temple Mount buile after the square platform was excended to che south in the wake of the destruction of the Akra. ‘The reason then for the Lshape of the underground. stairway leading up from Barclay's Gate is that Herod's builders buile the southern part of this stairway along- side the existing (Hasmonean) ween val ingead oF accempting to cut through che wall, which would have been vary diet Hee again we find confirmation of the location of the square Temple Mount and its Hasmonean exension. ‘The other gate from Herod's western Temple ‘Mount wall up to the Temple Mount is Warren's Gate, north of Barclay’s Gate. When Warren exam- ined this gate, he described ic as cistern 30, but he correctly identified it as having been a gateway tunnel before it was used as a cistern. Ie is 18 feec wide, the same as the passageway ftom Barclay’s Gate. The pat- sogeway in Warcen’s Gate has. vaulted roof. I believe that this isthe first part of another L-shaped subter- anean stairway up to the Temple Moune. Today, the Passage ends approximarely 18 fect before the prom jected western wall of the original square Temple Mount. I believe che final 18 feet of the passageway was filled in ata later date, as was the continuation of jahleen and Leen Rimoyer, “Resonating Heros Temy Mount i Jol.” BAR, NovemberDcenbes 985.7 °™P* a nn aythe L along the original Temple Moune walt that led ‘up 10 the western court of Herod's addition. ‘cis interesting that even on the southern wall, the underground passageways from Herod's Double and Triple Gates are approximately 240 feet long, opening ‘on the Temple Mount almost precisely on the south- cm line of the original square Temple Mount, provid- ing additional confirmation of our location. Now, having located the original Temple Moune plaxform (as well as the Hasmonean and Herodian additions), we turh to the final question: Where, on the original Temple Mount, was the Temple located? ‘My research into the exact location of the Temple building is not yer complete. Many factors must be taken into consideration, but enough information has already been gathered 0 draw 4 preliminary plan. eis generally agreed chat Herod's Temple stood at the same place as the Temple built by Solomon, which, obviously, stood within the original square Temple Mount. The square Temple Mount actually formed the great court surrounding the Temple. ‘One might expect the Temple to be located in the center of the square Temple Mount (in Ezekiel's vi- sionary Temple the altar is in the center; in the Temple Scroll the entrance to the Temple itself is located in the center). Buc here, that is not so. Es- Salthra, the rock formation over which che Dome of the Rock is built lies to the northwest of the center of the square Temple Mount. This mass of natural rock is che top of the middle pare of the eastern hill of Jerusalem, and Josephus tells us chat the Temple ‘wa’ buile on the top of the mountain-—chat is, on top of es-Sakhira.”” If es-Sakhra was the location of the Temple, then the courts surrounding the Temple would all have different dimensions. That is precisely what Middoe 2:1 tells us: “The Temple Mount was five hundred ‘cubits by five hundred. Its largest [open space] was at the south, second largest, at the east, third largest, at the north, and least, at the west.” “The spaces referred co in this text are undoubtedly the differene parts of the outer court that surrounded the inner court of the Temple (excluding, apparendly, the Court of the Women). Taking these guidelines inco consideration, I drew the Temple according wo scale, using the specific measurements given in Middoe, and, while experiment- ing with the dimensions referred to above, hit upon an interesting piccure: In order co fulfill the requite- iments of Middot for the southern court to have been the largest, and with the dimensions of the other parts of the outer court diminishing as one proceeds in a counterclockwise direction, the Temple must have been buile around es-Sakhra. Despite some recent proposals, which would place the Temple north of es-Sakhra,™ I have become con- vinced thac che Temple was built over es Sakhra, where researchers of the last century and a half have instinc- tively placed it.? The difference berween the approach of mose previous researchers and my approach is that they used es-Sakha as a starting point, while I reached this location after first having located the square Temple Mount, and working, 50 co speak, from the cousside toward the center. ‘Another factor supporting my conclusion isthe fact that, according to Middos, the Temple had. founda- tions 6 cubits high. But why would this be necessary if the Temple were built on bedrock? Es-Sakhea now stands about 5 to 6 feet above the floor of the Dome of the Rock. A short distance ousside the Dome of the Rock (in cisterns 1, 3 and 5) ‘Warren found the diffrence in height from the top of ex-Sakhra to bedrock co be 13 10 15 feet. Taking into consideration that che bedrock would gently slope up from the points Warren measured to the base of ce-Sakhra, it seems that es Salhhra stands about 10 feet above the bedrock immediacely surrounding it. Ten feet equals 6 cubis, the height of che Temple foun- dation specified in Middor. Ic stands to reason that these foundations—6 cubits high—were necessary t0 “bury” ex-Sakhra in order to create a level platform on which the Temple could be bull.” ‘With this positioning of the Temple on the square Temple Mount, for the first cme, all che factors— opographical, archacological and historical—have been eaken into account. And all seem to fic precsel While I believe chat there is already enough dence to place the Temple firmly over the top of es- Sakhra, I intend co undertake further study of che historical sources in light of the topography and archi- tecture of the Temple Mount which will, hopefully, enable me to refine this proposal still further. AML pans in this are are the work of Leen Rize, Ald Ha serae sedied' as Care Nelbrdion Abe frets riety fm RATS yl sar ee 7 Bio Fel Shem mo ren seen imeane irradi ale I ini ie eg ee sea nieces i ee el speci mamta sale i ic eget or ee ar eben ect ceed ee ek tl od gr Ee Sloe all wie ie al Pee ward ee oot (gma st | Ea rit ed dry ola Bie an ere tel i rt ni eo Sy retin ct rita ee ies fiir le eran ea ce Oni emt mes me oem Ol ew Ne tan ek Sil tle a miele a ee rama pate BRI Fe Nelo egw Bin of Merle Oe afuke of leracilom bas been of gest help to me. acai main bn on Pe eoamy pu my diol, The ed ee cer and Moje Hall of Neringham, UK. of & comple ser af Waren, Plan Eesatny Secon ee mde toh ase © era Finally my hank the staf of BAR. whose profsianaion snd aie amt bated gtk ee opus he eis Wir. 2h. Chutes Won and Chale Waren, Reavy of enalee (London: Bend 1871, cap. 7k od eet eSncat ee ate “Jan Stor, fron in be OU Tatar iden Bi 50, {Wilson and Warren, Recovery of Jeruselem, pp. 209-213. 3M, ln Eos Sci de ie anasto 181 cea Conn ae Plein Coban nd EP es PES TPL it ‘Biba! Anus Tey Postings of elaine Congres on Bibel srceaope tion Sea oa Jane Amici Geto: Tol Bainseas ets ES, 1535) 6 4, ‘Nea an Claude Condor Ser of Water Pein, Aesaton Condon: BEE 18), oS set, ee Pio Eaton Secon ct Dad Sets OR eb. Cappy tea 2h small ly wa eed $e, Ann ley by Wan, Chaphennha vally by Cone SSE ees tadmore recrndy te Bek ake ley er Be ig (Chr Fir tl offomaar oe Coes a Si ileus Anite of he fon 42, See Bah Cr Hae spo, 6 "Mean Mn Elamon, Seton estes land Vi joseph dma of he po ed Sse Gauge A Sith Fc sie Ene Tne AD Wilbon odisnd Senge S00 ea ss 23 67 ines ed abe Eos epee Bond "The Hebrew Phoenician Cabie® Psers espanrey Quarter (BEQ) (990, ope 37.20 eee Prolamstcbis™ 595 mm GUST he) ocken es rn i the Tie foe anton SC DK Since Phases Ce wea oS ae iy 2 nches He ques Didymas Ged of ay ‘hip cbse: tn pptet ae eae Pak Plena "As ab bot was S80 men ong ea ee 13.5350 = 935mm Dard Uasliae Ee eae Length ofthe Sioa Tanel” Lanse sro eg oes Gib = 323.om Ce 20 neh CE Ane ee “Deering the Leng of Mount Cabin” STS (Be)sp IS, Raum sans Hate eee txt (38319 inches tend of 506695) Wes ath Karthown dat 900 be of 208) nc ta ae iran fam the sept the ae raat See baloe thar hi re cab ced en Sistem ose The is ong Ep tl in ile dhe Eoin long cbse sore koe cay OT Thong alae teow che pl ca eRe in a dhce de och conan’ Be Pha eee known athe Philaceran eb ere Eryn ce ingot han Stren tad Cond Surg of Wem Pang p. 46 “(The geneal dean of fe ce a wih Pal decried by se Sumy 9) degen 0a Teas crnal went iepae hc oe DOB eae {eaght ine Seon seal ge ce en 54 that below the surface the fst 260 fee of wll are in a seaight line, Ae this pine there isa small patern on about che ate lee as he Sagle Gateon the south ide om cha parse he val aka sige bend to northeast, 9 that at 650 fet om sourtveat angle eis about 8 fet est of alin in producion fist 260 fe.” Simons also nosed this bend tothe nowthsse and corrced its location co 240 fc from che southeast core ruler in he Old Testament p. 370) “The fas ection of the [eas] wall. fiom the same (SE) angle co a poine 73.20, meter [= 240 fer to the noch, is practically sight but ae dhs point i bends slighty oucward, to the north-east, thar after 200 meters (= 630 fet cis aleady 2.5 meters [<8 fet] course che line ofthe southern section 'SJosephus. Antique ofthe Jews 1267. '7See Yoram Tsar, "The Location of she Seleucid Ak in Jeli fron Reed Vg Yain esa IES, 1975), pp. 8586. Mere cently, Gregocy J. Wightman, “Temple Fortesses in Jerusalem, Par {- Phe Poolemaic and Seleucid Ares” Bulletin of Anglo-icel Archacolgia Soeey 9 (1989-1990), p. 29-40, ‘Wfosephus, The fwih War LA Josephus, Anciquies of the Jus 12.9.3. Taft CLocaton of the Seleucid Ake.” pp. 85-86) accepts the southeastern hill of Jeruslem for the locaton of the Alea and correctly places ie to he south ofthe Temple: inded close o our suggested location, We preter, howeves to place the Akra near the center of the southern Temple Mone wall, abowe cistern fom which ic would have been euler to contol che cgy and the southern acces co the Temple Mount, and not near the Southeast corner, as Teli sugges Ke would have been better so consuct a forces that could coveloo the Temple Moune ae he summit ofthe soucheateen nthe chan on che much lower slopes nea the southeast rm corner, Tafi’s suggestion of identifying the masonry 0 the month ofthe seh joie” inthe este wl wih he foundation ofthe Alra contradic che statement of Josephus that he Akra was razed to che ground i seems more loge to ‘demi cis stretch of Helene masonry with the enlarge. ‘ment ofthe Temple Mount duting the Hasmonean period Josephus (Antiquities ofthe Jews 1416.2) tlaces chat when Hero ater he wor me Lng. tok Jeri an he Temple Mouns, “the cloister that were about the Temple were busne 21 would lke wo thank De Rupert Chapman, sereury of the esne Exploron Fund. ind Shinon Gon he woogie officer, for their help and cooperadon, in Saidig cay of inp lg cin eee Bln his recently published book, Mamluk Jeraslem, Michae! Burgayne has identified 2 4-meterwide Herodiaa wall mining ca-west along the southern edge ofthe Ancona rock placea. This wall, the southern wall of the Amooia forces, i inline with the preserved northeast corner ofthe “Temple Moune. Although the underground passageay orginally lading toi fom herders oiled ge pr re anes endnore 30) 2sFather Pierre Benoit, O.2. “The Archaeological Reconstruction ofthe Antonia Forces,” in Yadin, Jerse Respled pp. 87-89. Warren, Plans, Eenation Scions tc, Pl. XXXIL. osephus, The Jvih Wer 5.51: “At Best the pain a the vp wary not ry hei ee sound about ie was very uneven, an lke a prespice* 28The mos fimout ofthese is Asher Kaufman See his a= dle “Where the Ancient Temple of Jerusalem Sod” (BAR, March/April 1983). Kaufman places the Temple vera smal ‘oouiment known 2 the Dome ofthe Tablets norchwest oF cexSakhra Kaufinan's suggeition has recency been supportedby Lawrence D. Sporry (Bible! Artacologie, March 1991 pp. 28-35). Kaufman's theoretical location of the Temple ove the Dome of che Tablet has several weaknesses: 1. He come plecely ignores the most important ropographical daca of the rea north of the Muslim Pltform—(1) the fons, of moat, ‘observed by Warren, (2) the Bezetha Valle tothe eas of this moat and (3) the rock scarp under the northern edge ofthe ‘Muslim Platform. The nocthern court of Kaufman's Temple ‘would fll into the Bezetha valley! Neat the eastern wal, his valley is 160 feet lower than the es-Salea! 2. The flor under the Dome of che Tables, where Kaufman located the Temple {sa stone—apparently large paving slab or other stone in se ondary use—and noe bedrock Bedrock i at least 8 fee below the floor of his small monument. Thus. this [extion is by 80 ‘means the cop ofthe hill, a Josephus described the Temple's location. 3. EsSakhra, by contrast, i about 15 fet higher than Kaufman’ location forthe Temple. On this point alone, his theory is untenable. 4. His interpretaions ofthe bedrock formations near ehe northwest corner of the Muslim Platform sr highly dubious. Moreover he Bled vo recognize che most imporcane remains in this are: the step/wall, which is crucial in Mendfying and defining the square Temple Mounc. 29For the other theories, se Melchior de Vogié, Le Tempe de eran Pate 1964) anes Pergo, The pla of te or “and cheater building the Haram area at feraatem (Londo, 1878); Chales Warten, The Temple or the Tomb (London, 1880}; Claude R, Condor, “Statement of the Principal ‘Controversies, Sie ofthe Temple,” Survey of Warn Paling (erusalem and London, 1884); Conrad Schick, Die Shi, der Tempel in ferscem ond der Templpla der Jatt Bedi, 1896): Charles M. Watson, Tie st ofthe Temple (London: PEE 1896); Carl Mornmere,Tipognaphie dealin Jrwaem Zier Ta. Das Selomomiche Tempel—und Palese—guarer ath ‘Moriah (Leipsig, 1903); Gustaf Dalman “Der Zacite Tempel au Jerusalem,” Palasine-brbuch, 5 (1909); FJ. Holl, The “Arcbacology of, Hered Temple (London, 1934); Louis Vincent, “Le Temple Hérodien apeés ls Mis Biblique 61 (1954); Asher S. Kaufman “The meai Habapit and its nocchern gat." Nir Hemidrahua 18119 (1984/1985), Benjamin Marar, “The Temple Mowe.” Biblical Archaolgy Toy (ersalem: TES, 1985) 2°Adonl spare fr thisloein can be dine iam he tion of che jund cates, as survyed by Waren. RePhcu ae fom cours fl oud ne ruary a Ihave located the Temple. (One would hardly expect to find people drawing wae within the sancuay feel) Rs | fave loaed che Tempe he lange Gatern 5 would be stated text © the Winer Gate which was near the lr, thus provide ings convenient soures of water forthe nrvice ofthe Temple "With this location ofthe Temple, one can go on to identify afew more cements of the original Temple, Middor 3 describes the Tai Gate as being “on the noth serving no purpose at ale also mensions tha if “one of (che priests] Should havea nocrumalemision of semen, he gos out. pro ceding along the passage that lends below the bulding and Temps fiche on this side and that-—uncl he reaches the immetion room, Rabbi Elias ben Jacob say" goes out bythe passage which leas blow the rampart (ee) and so he came to the Tadi Gate Both Waren and Condor concluded that ifcisems I and 3 were extended farther tothe north, hey would meee exactly Sea poincin the rock scarp whee they placed the Tadi Gate (Sertey of Worn Plesting Jerusalem, p. 218). Cistern 1 wae probably the pasagewsy reached by descending frm the Gihamber ofthe Hearth, which was one ofthe chic ges on the north of che inner court the Temple while cern 3 wat the immenon room itell Middorconcaues, tha there were “four offices inthe Chamber ofthe Hearth; [T]hrough dat on the northwestern side do they go down tothe room for itnmersion’ (Midd 15). Despite che fic thatthe Tad Gate tras put out of use by Herod northern extension, che under found passage was sill used by the presto vie the immer: Son room (os endnote 24). Tes also imeesting to note chat this passageway (cer 1) ite imine nth he rock net he Daf he eck ind alo with the pasageways ofthe Double Gare. Using Ther the northern Tad Gace or the southern Hula Gate the pile ofthe past would aways ee st whatever wa built over tht rock, whether aay Pore, the Hay or most probably the Holy of Helis ofthe Temple. The importance EP his trchieceulalignnene shows that chese gates Were tail according to 2 uniform plan ‘This southern route passes in berween citerns 6 and 36, which acomding to Ronni Reich might have been mikotot Ciwo Possible’ Migrzor on the Temple. Mount fae! Exploration Jornal 391989), pp. 69-05). Reich sugges, however that these mikoror wet load outside the saly ‘Temple Mount. 3s