It is always worth visiting the Temple Institute when visiting the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Temple Institute is dedicated to every aspect of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, and the central role it fulfilled, and will once again fulfill, in the spiritual wellbeing of both Israel and all the nations of the world. The Institute’s work touches upon the history of the Holy Temple’s past, an understanding of the present day, and the Divine promise of Israel’s future. The Institute’s activities include education, research, and development. The Temple Institute’s ultimate goal is to see Israel rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, in accord with the Biblical commandments.
The Institute announced that early this year they are moving to a new location, a couple of hundred meters from their present location on Misgav Ladach Street. This new site is located directly above the Herodian Quarter that was excavated by the late Prof. Nahman Avigad and which contains the remains of what was possibly the Palace of Annas the High Priest.
The Temple Institute is delighted to announce that after twenty five years of introducing visitors the world over to the sacred vessels of the Holy Temple and the dream, along with the practical measures being taken for rebuilding the Holy Temple, our headquarters will be moving in early 2013 to a new, expanded facility, which will include a brand new Visitors Center. Just a few hundred meters from our current location the new center will be located just above the Yehudah HaLevy stairs which lead from Jerusalem’s Old City Jewish Quarter down to the Western Wall Plaza facing the Temple Mount. The new exhibition will include a highly advanced, state of the art presentation of the Temple-ready sacred vessels created by the Institute, garments of the High Priest, oil-paintings depicting aspects of the Divine service of the Holy Temple and model of the Holy Temple Complex. Visitors will also be able to see a scaled-down stone altar, made in accordance with Torah law, transportable and completely ready for use on the Temple Mount.
Photo: Temple Institute
In the events section of their website they show a massive Laver being transported to the new premises:
The Laver is unloaded for transportation to the new location. Photo: Temple Institute
This post has many pictures showing how the Laver was made.
The exhibition space available will be three times as large as that at the current site. Below, we see one of the halls being prepared for future use:
In a previous post, we commented on the finding of a 1st century tomb, containing bones and the remains of a linen shroud, next to the Tomb of Annas which we have been able to identify earlier. The tomb was named “The Tomb of the Shroud”. Akeldama is located at the mouth of the Hinnom Valley:
On the southern side of the Hinnom Valley, several highly decorated tombs were found in a location that is usually associated with Akeldama, the Filed of Blood purchased with Judas’ betrayal money. However, using the description by Josephus of the Roman circumvallation wall around Jerusalem, we identified this tomb complex as belonging to the High Priestly family of Annas, before whom Jesus stood after his arrest in Gethsemane.The inner burial chamber of the Tomb of Annas was highly decorated and had kokhim burial niches in the walls. The body of Annas was probably placed in the kokh (burial niche) disguised by the fake door in the wall on the right.
An interesting scientific article has been published with the results of the Molecular Exploration of this tomb:
The Tomb of the Shroud is a first-century C.E. tomb discovered in Akeldama, Jerusalem, Israel that had been illegally entered and looted. The investigation of this tomb by an interdisciplinary team of researchers began in 2000. More than twenty stone ossuaries for collecting human bones were found, along with textiles from a burial shroud, hair and skeletal remains. The research presented here focuses on genetic analysis of the bioarchaeological remains from the tomb using mitochondrial DNA to examine familial relationships of the individuals within the tomb and molecular screening for the presence of disease.
The Tomb of the Shroud is one of very few examples of a preserved shrouded human burial and the only example of a plaster sealed loculus with remains genetically confirmed to have belonged to a shrouded male individual that suffered from tuberculosis and leprosy dating to the first-century C.E. This is the earliest case of leprosy with a confirmed date in which M. leprae DNA was detected.
Historically disfiguring diseases, particularly leprosy and tuberculosis, were commonly categorized together in the Near East and the afflicted individuals were ostracized from their communities. The general Jewish practice in the first century C.E. was for a primary burial to be placed within a loculus until the decomposition of organic remains had taken place, at which point – approximately a year later – the bones were then taken out of the loculus and transferred into a repository (a pit or wall niche) or into a stone ossuary. However this transfer did not occur for the individual buried in Tomb of the Shroud loculus 1 – instead this loculus was sealed with white plaster, a practice which is quite rare in the first century tombs studied around Jerusalem.
In the conclusion the authors note that the disease of leprosy did not distinguish between rich and poor. The prevalence of such a highly contagious disease, particularly for immuno-compromised individuals with leprosy is not unexpected with inadequate sanitation and demonstrates the significant impact social diseases such as tuberculosis had on society from the low socioeconomic groups up to the more affluent families, such as Tomb the Shroud in first-century Jerusalem.
It is interesting to read in the New Testament of a Simon the Leper, who lived in Bethany (Matt. 26.6). He may have been the leper that was healed by Jesus in Matt. 8.2. Leprosy is an ancient disease, as we are told in Luke 4.27: “there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha”, but only Naaman the Syrian was healed.
The above article states that leprosy is a highly contagious disease. This was known already in the time of Moses (Lev. 13,14), where stringent laws were put ion place to contain leprosy by isolating the people who suffered from it. This was reiterated again in Deuteronomy 24.8: “Take care, in a case of leprosy, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you.”
Unfortunately, it did not save this particular individual whose remains were sealed and found some 2,000 years later.
It is always exciting to see Jerusalem in the snow. Here are two recently published photographs:
Jerusalem from the south. Photo: James Cheatham
This beautiful photo was taken from the Haas Promenade, also called Abraham’s View, as this must have been the first place from which Abraham viewed Mount Moriah. Makes one realize that Abraham might have seen Jerusalem (Salem) in the snow as well!
View from the Mount of Olives. Photo: James Cheatham
This view from the Mount of Olives is another favourite spot in connection with Jesus’ prophecy over Jerusalem (Matt. 24; Luke 21).
These pics reminded us of another heavy snowfall when we just started to work on the Temple Mount Excavations in 1973:
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives with the Dome of the Rock barely visible in the center. Photo: Leen Ritmeyer 1973.
It was one of the few days that we could not work, as this picture makes clear:
Temple Mount Excavations in the snow. Photo: Leen Ritmeyer 1973.
The above pictures were taken by people who love Jerusalem. It was sad therefore to see that even snow on the Temple Mount has been politicised by Palestinians:
Both organisations are interested in archaeology from the biblical point of view. Many more discoveries were made in 2012, of course, but these are the ten highlights that were picked out by them.
Out of those ten, the discovery of a water cistern from the First Temple period below Robinson’s Arch is at the top of my list, as it casts light on the water situation in Jerusalem probably during the time of Hezekiah.
Photo: Vladimir Naykhin
During his time, Jerusalem extended greatly to include the Western Hill and every possiblilty to store water must have been explored. The largest known water reservoirs that were made at that time were the Pools of Siloam and Bethesda.
Second place goes to the Matanyahu seal that was found beneath Robinson’s Arch too.
Photo: Clara Amit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
People used personal seals in the First Temple period for the purpose of signing letters and they were set in a signet ring. The seals served to identify their owner, just as they identify officials today.
Its approach is quite unique in that the chapters are arranged in chronological order. As an example, it was surprising, but possibly accurate, to see Ps 90, which was written by Moses, placed at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy. Also helpful is the timeline at the top of each page, showing where in history the text is placed.
The new four-color Chronological Life Application Study Bible combines the proven resources of the Life Application Study Bible with a chronological format and several brand-new resources. The Bible is arranged in 10 chronological sections that help the reader to see how the various pieces of the Bible fit together. New section intros and timelines set the stage for the passages in each section. New archaeological notes and photographs help to bring God’s story to life in a whole new way.
I was also pleased to see the new reconstruction drawings that I was asked to make for this Study Bible:
N.B. The aim of the New Living Translation was of course, as explained in the Introduction:
“to render the message of the original texts of Scripture into clear, contemporary English. As they did so, they kept the concerns of both formal-equivalence and dynamic-equivalence in mind.”
Nadav Shragav wrote an interesting article, called Discarding History, about the continued destruction of the Temple Mount. Not only are archaeological artefacts removed and dumped, but also the walls of the Temple Mount continue to be damaged by the construction work carried out by the Muslim authorities:
The Temple Mount is not in our hands • The Muslim wakf continues to damage antiquities and archeological artifacts as authorities remain helpless to prevent it • Entire Jewish, Muslim and Christian histories are being brutally dumped in garbage sites.
Zachi Dvira of the Temple Mount Sifting Project was able to stop the removal of the illegally excavated archaeological remains, as this report shows.
In previous posts I have reported on the danger of collapse of the Temple Mount walls, see for example here and here. Although this has been recognised by the Israel Antiquities Authority, nothing has been done to prevent further damage:
The cause of the danger was clear to the Antiquities Authority professionals: the construction work done by the wakf and the Islamic Movement, the passage of heavy equipment on the roof of Solomon’s Stables, the pouring of concrete slabs and the paving of the plaza in the area of the Stables. The paving diverted rainwater, which until then had drained into the soil, to the outer wall of the compound, damaging the wall.
In previous years, a large bulging stretch in the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount was repaired with unsightly paving stones. I have commented in another post (and here) about the danger of using wrong materials in this repair work. Here is a picture of that large repair in the Eastern Wall:
Photo: Alexander Schick.
Now, a new hole appeared right next to the previous repair:
Photo: Zachi Dvira.
It appears that a much larger part of the wall will collapse soon.
If you plan to visit Jerusalem in 2013, you should go to the Israel Museum and see what promises to be a fascinating exhibition on King Herod the Great that will run from February till October. CNN put up this video:
Restoration work in progress in preparation for the exhibition
Herod the Great, ruler of Judea from 37-4 BCE, one of the most fascinating and influential figures in classical history is the spotlight of the Israel Museum’s upcoming archaeological exhibition.
Centered on the sensational discovery of Herod’s tomb at Herodium – finally uncovered after a 40-year search by the late Professor Ehud Netzer and his team from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – this groundbreaking exhibition, with over 100 unique archeological artifacts, will delineate, for the very first time, the multifaceted portrait of the king whose deeds changed the face and the fate of the land forever.
We invite you to view remains from the Second Temple of Jerusalem, marvel at the craftsmanship of the ancient stonemasons, walk through fully reconstructed palace halls decorated with frescoes and stucco, enter, for the first time the burial chamber in the king’s mausoleum, in a monumental, life-size reconstruction and to view the intricately carved sarcophagus believed to have held the body of the king.
This mountain Fortress-Palace was built by Herod the Great as a place for refuge and burial in the Judean Desert, not far from Bethlehem. The circular building was seven stories high and had many rooms inside the double-walled structure. Four defensive towers were built along the outer wall. Herod’s tomb was discovered in 2007.
Herod was king at the time when Jesus was born (Matthew 2.1; Luke 3.1).
Renovation work is being carried out in the north of the Temple Mount. Large blue drapes cover part of the Antonia Rockscarp and razor-sharp barbed wire has closed off the area.
Large blue drapes cover the southern facade of the Antonia Fortress. Photo: Alexander Schick.
By the looks of it, the building on top of the rockscarp is undergoing much needed restoration. Here stands the madrasa (Islamic religious school) of al-Jawiliyya that was built in the Mamluk period, between 1315 and 1320. Inside this building is a large vaulted semi-enclosed area opening up to a courtyard which has adjacent rooms that look out over the Temple Mount area.
In the Ottoman period, this building was the seat of government of Jerusalem. To its west stands the Umarriya School for boys, that was established here during the British Mandate in 1923.
In the Herodian period, this was the location of the Antonia Fortress that overlooked the Temple Mount. In the northwest corner of the Temple Mount stands the Ghawanima minaret, behind which there was a staircase leading up to the roof of the porticoes and the entrance to the Antonia Fortress. This forms the backdrop to the scene portrayed in Acts 21 and 22. Climbing up this stairway, Paul would have reached the top of the north portico from where he addressed the people. Here Paul defended himself against his countrymen in the Hebrew language.
In the courtyard of this fortress, he was bound with cords and prepared for scourging. Proposals that this was the Praetorium of the gospels have been discounted and this is now understood to have been located in Herod’s Palace that stood in the west of the city.
The sockets for the northern portico can still be seen in the rockscarp today, cut into the Herodian masonry that formed the south wall of the Antonia, see the drawing below. This is one of many illustrations of the Antonia Fortress, published in my book The Quest – Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on pages 123-131. It is to be hoped that this renovation will not obscure or damage these vitally important archaeological remains.
Alexander Schick, director of the Qumran and Bible Exhibition, alerted me to the fact that a new model of Jerusalem as it was about 2000 years ago has been placed inside the Arrival Hall at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international airport. It is a smaller wooden version of the well-known model of Jerusalem of the Second Temple period that used to be located at the Holyland Hotel, but has been moved a few years ago to the Israel Museum. It was designed in the 1960’s by the late Prof. Michael Avi-Yonah.
This new model appears to have been designed by the Israel Museum to attract people to go and visit this famous museum in Jerusalem. It is well worth a visit!
It is unfortunate, however, that most people are in such a hurry to get to their transportation that they can easily miss this new model.
The new model in the Arrival Hall of Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Alexander SchickJerusalem viewed from the east. Photo: Alexander Schick
Jerusalem viewed from the south. Photo: Alexander Schick
Although it has been online for a while, this Virtual Walking Tour of the Temple Mount remains fascinating to watch. It has been produced by the Saudi Aramco World.
Haram al-Sharif, as the Temple Mount is known in Arabic, is the third holiest site for Muslims. On this artificial platform, that was extended by Herod the Great, stands the Dome of Rock, the Al-Aqsa and 40+ other smaller structures.
The site is known as the place to which Abraham was commanded by God to go to sacrifice his son Isaac, the place where Solomon built the First Temple and where, according to Muslim tradition, the prophet Muhammad went to heaven to receive the instruction to pray five times daily.
The narrator is the late Oleg Grabar, Professor Emeritus of Islamic Art and Architecture at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author of The Dome of the Rock (2006, Harvard) and The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem (1996, Princeton).
There are 32 stops with stunning panoramic photos. The “Autoplay” setting will take you through all the stops, while in “Manual” you can stop at any time, read the text or zoom in and navigate with your mouse through the stunning spherical panoramic photographs.
There are other tours of the Alhambra in Spain and the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
