The Temple Mount and the National Geographic

In May this year, I was asked to join the National Geographic team on a poster supplement for the December Issue of the magazine. The subject of the poster was the history and architecture of the Temple Mount. I had the opportunity to meet with Fernando Baptista and Patricia Healy (NGS Senior Graphics Editor and Art Researcher respectively) in New York during a conference on “The Temple of Jerusalem: From Moses to Messiah”. See my earlier post.

They wanted my help with the creation of a NG poster on the Temple Mount and also came to see the models I had designed and which were then on show in the Yeshiva University. This interesting poster is now available in the December issue. The poster is called “Jerusalem’s Holy Ground” and shows, from top to bottom, the Binding of Isaac, The Rock, Solomon’s Temple, Herod’s Temple Mount and the Temple Mount during the Early Muslim period. It also shows cut-away drawings of Solomon’s Temple, Herod’s Temple and the Dome of the Rock and has a timeline on the side. The other side of the poster shows a magnificent map of the Eastern Mediterranean region, named “The Crucible of History”. The poster is beautifully produced and it is worthwhile getting the National Geographic December issue if you don’t have a subscription. The magazine has for its main theme, The Real King Herod, architect of the Holy Land.

Here is a view of the poster, reproduced with permission of the National Geographic Society:

17 thoughts on “The Temple Mount and the National Geographic”

  1. Hi,
    i live in Italy. It’s possible to have this poster at good resolution?
    Thanks so much
    Luca

  2. We picked one up before knowing you worked on it….now we can tell the children a brother did! We are planning on plak-ing it to hang on the wall.

    btw we used your Nehemiah book a lot during the readings to help the children understand the placements of the different chapters in the city near different gates and such. What a wonderful tool…thanks for all your hard work!

    May Yahweh bles you and your family as we walk towards the Kingdom!

  3. It’s a beautiful insert. I remember opening it and thinking “Ahhh, this is why I get National Geographic.” (And to think it happened at that conference!)

    I thought it resembled your work and looked for your name, but don’t recall seeing it. It’s good to hear you were involved- whenever I see a Temple Mount related piece, I look for your name to ensure that it’s accurate!

  4. My name is sure there under “consultants” at bottom right of the poster.

  5. Hi Professor Ritmeyer: Happy New Year! I was wondering if you had any comments regarding Ehud Netzer’s article in the January/February 2009 edition of Biblical Archaeological review, where he reconstructs the Antonia Fortress? Thanks.

  6. One of the members of my church gave me the poster last night and I just now had a chance to look it over. Wow!!! My grandfather was a fan of National Geographic. I remember his back room was full of them. I have not been impressed with the foundation of most of the other work because I believe in intelligent design. You would probably consider me a fundamentalist. This work as I see it is exact to the detail. Thank you for your investment in unadulterated history.

  7. The picture is silly in that it shows the Holy of Holies over the rocks that no cattle or person on God’s green earth could thresh grain! It had to be flat as a floor in order to be a threshing floor so that one single point proves this is the wrong spot. Besides, just a quick measurement shows the rocks under the Dome fo the Rock are too big to fit the Temple building which was 20 cubits wide inside to inside or about 30 feet.

  8. The Shorashim shop in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem used to sell them, but I don’t know if they are still available.

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