Monday, April 19, 2010

Jerusalem - Jews, Christians & Muslims.

I could hear all the stories of the Bible ringing in my ears when I saw the beautiful golden dome of the Al Aqsa mosque which stands a top the hill where King Solomons Temple was.



I had heard of Solomons wisdom & his wondrous temple for many years which had a certain mystical meaning for me especially due to my involvement in the craft.

Judaism says the Temple Mount is the place where the Shekinah & The Ark of the Covenant were kept, in the entrance stood 2 large pillars the tops were crowned with ornamentation as if they were lamps.
The site is the location of Abraham's binding of Isaac, and of two Jewish Temples.
The first built by King Solomon (he requested the aid of King Hiram of Tyre to provide both the quality materials and skilled craftsmen) in 957 BC and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE when the Jews were sent into exile. The second was constructed under Zerubbabel in 516 BC and destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE (see my Blog on Rome - Tito Arch for info on Emperor Vespasian & Tito).

The location is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn towards during prayer. Due to its extreme sanctity, many Jews will not walk on the Mount itself, to avoid unintentionally entering the Holy of Holies.

The Mount is the third holiest site in Islam. It is the destination of Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 AD Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ordered the construction of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock on the site. The Dome was completed in 692 AD the Al Aqsa Mosque rests on the far southern side of the Mount & faces towards Mecca. The Dome of the Rock sits in the middle, in the area where the Torah says the 3rd Holy Temple will be rebuilt.

Descriptions & details of Solomons Temple are given in Deuteronomy the 5th book in the old testament.


St George & the Reggae boys from Europe to Africa



No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

My photo
Just passing through and enjoying life. I use this blog to keep hold of my thoughts & opinions. In general anything that interest me.