The Temple Mount

On this last full day of my time in Jerusalem, I was privileged to set foot upon the Temple Mount. Known in Hebrew as the Har ha-Bayit and in Arabic as al-Haram al-Qudsi ash-Sharif, this is the holiest site in Judaism, one of the three holiest sites in Islam, and one of the holiest sites in Christianity, for it was here that Jesus's teaching, ministry and last days were centered. In my faith the Temple Mount has additional significance, as my beliefs also center upon Temples and Temple worship.

According to Jewish tradition, the Temple Mount is Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham went up to offer Isaac, his son. Here the Israelites built a Temple under King Solomon, which stood on the site for some 400 years until its destruction by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.Two later Jewish Temples were built or expanded on the site, in 538 B.C. and again by Herod after 19 B.C.

My personal feelings on visiting this last and greatest site in the Holy City are deep and emotional. There is a power in this place unlike any other. A few impressions. First, I was amazed at the sheer size of the Temple Mount. Indeed, the area is so vast that on the outer fringes one has the sense of being in the country, among the trees and flowers on little country paths. Also, there is a profound sense of peace in the holy space, of something more powerful and more vital than anything below in the bustling and strife-filled city.

As a final act of devotion in my visit to this holy city, I took away a small white stone from the Temple Mount, near the inside of the long-sealed Golden Gate, which I will take with me back to United States.

Qumran

When I knew I was coming to Israel, the two places I must see above all others were, first, the temple Mount, and second, Qumran. Today, on my final full day in Israel, I got to see both.

At Khirbet Qumran are the ruins of an ancient settlement adjacent to the hiding places of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of the sheer desert cliffs overlooking the Dead Sea. The setttlement of Quran is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland. The settlement was built between 134 and 104 B.C. and was occupied continuously until its destruction by the Romans in about 68 to 70 A.D. Between 1947 and 1956 almost 1,000 ancient scrolls were discovered in caves above and near Qumran. Also, cisterns, water courses, Jewish ritual baths and cemeteries have been uncovered, together with assembly rooms, a tower and what many think was a great writing room or Scriptorium where many of the precious scrolls were written or copied.

I don't have space here to discuss the Dead Sea Scrolls themselves, but let it suffice to say that their discovery and slow translation has been the most explosive and paradigm-shifting event in Biblical scholarship of the past 1,000 years. The implications of the content of the scrolls fundamentally shifts our understanding not only of ancient Judaism, but early Christianity as well.

I was amazed by the great height of the mountains surrounding Qumran, and also by the depth of the two ravines that slope down on either side. Also I was unprepared for the massive nature both of the water system and the ritual baths in the structure. Seeing this site was a dream come true for this afficianado of history and religion.

Masada

We visited Masada today near the south end of the Dead Sea. Though I have read much of Masada in years past--most recently Stephen Dando-Collins's "Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius's Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion"--I was surprised on three fronts. First, but the amazing height of the city above the Dead Sea plain. (I include here a video of the tram ride up). This is a truly spectacular summit, and indeed almost frightening on its edge with a stiff desert wind blowing. Second, I was amazed at the sheer size of the settlement and fortifications on the summit. Third, in view of all of this the engineering and military feat of the Tenth Legion in assailing this stronghold is truly remarkable.

St. Anne's Church in Jerusalem

On this, my last full day in Jerusalem, I was finally able to go into St. Anne's Church near St. Stephen's gate. There was a mass in process, which include beautiful music. I include a sample below. Notice the dove fly, as if on cue, from the sanctuary as the video begins.

Out in the courtyard there was an amazing fenced garden, including this orange tree which reminds one of the Tree of Life.