Transcript “Ten measures of beauty descended into the world. Jerusalem got nine, and the rest of the world got the remaining one.” "There is.

“Ten measures of beauty descended into the
world. Jerusalem got nine, and the rest of
the world got the remaining one.”
"There is no beauty like the beauty of
Jerusalem.”
( The Bavli Talmud, Kidushin tractate(
Indeed, anyone walking the streets of Jerusalem,
visiting its ancient alleyways, or climbing its turrets
or the mountains surrounding the city, cannot
escape its overwhelming beauty, nor can they
ignore the cloud of Shchina which envelopes it,
turning it into a magnet for pilgrims of every kind,
color and gender.
Jerusalem attracts amateur archeologists, Jews
from all over the world who come to search for
their heritage, Christian pilgrims of every
denomination and sect, and Muslims who come to
pray in its mosques.
The core of Jerusalem’s holiness is this rock at the center of “Temple
Mount”, called “The Drinking Stone” – the very stone upon which the whole
world rests…
(Today, the rock, and the cave within it, can be reached from the “Dome of
the Rock” at the center of Temple Mount.
According to Jewish tradition, Abraham came upon this rock
four thousand years ago, on Mount Moriah, when he prepared to
sacrifice his own son on it (the scene is depicted in this mosaic
found at an old synagogue in the ruins of Tzipori).
Three thousand years ago, King Solomon built the
first Jewish temple on Temple Mount, with The Rock in the
middle, and so did King Herod when he built the Second Temple
a few hundred years later.
The Muslims, whose religion was born in the Arabian desert 600 years
after the destruction of the Second Temple, adopted Jerusalem as a holy city.
Their “Dome of the Rock” has been standing at the center of Temple Mount
for the last 1,300 years. Within the mosque lies The Rock from which,
according to their belief, Mohammed ascended to Heaven.
Three thousand years ago, David
conquered the city and made it his
capital, building on the western slope
of the Kidron wadi.
The ruins of the old city and its
surrounding walls reveal the
tortuous history of the people of
Israel during the centuries.
King Solomon, who inherited the kingdom from his father David,
enlarged the city and, on the hill overlooking “The city of David”, he
built a temple to the God of Israel. This building, which, according to
the Bible was magnificent, was destroyed without trace by
Nebakanezer of Babylon. Here and there a few remnants were left, as
in the example below which was a section of the city wall during the
period of the First Temple.
This is an approximate map, which shows
the lines of the city walls at various
periods. The red dotted line shows the
walls, which included “The City of David”
and “Temple Mount”, during the First
Temple period.
This is the section of the
wall shown in the previous
picture.
70 years after the Jews’ exile
to Babylon, King Cyrus
allowed them to return to
Jerusalem and to rebuild the
city. Many people accepted
the challenge and joined the
“Azariya and Nechemya
Aliya”. They rebuilt parts of
the city and the Temple.
However, for lack of funds,
the new temple was a small,
unimposing building, which
remained the same for
centuries. King Herod, who
was an Adomite and who
wanted to strengthen his rule
over the Jews, rebuilt the
temple, turning it into a most
magnificent, sumptuous
palace.
Herod straightened out Temple Mount, and built supporting walls from huge
stones to provide the vast flat area for the magnificent new temple. The temple itself
was surrounded by various courtyards and facilities to provide shelter for the many
pilgrims who came to Jerusalem every year.
Unfortunately, Herod’s temple did not last very long. Following the Jewish uprising
against Roman rule in 70 AC, only 90 years after it had been built, the temple was
completely burned down by Titus. The only parts left standing were the supporting
walls. A small section of the western side became sacred around 700 years ago, and is
now a focus for pilgrims and visitors who come to pray, or to express their wishes for
the renewal of the temple.
The Antonia
Fortress
The temple
The Western Wall
Wilson Arc
Hulda gates
Robinson Arc
the ophel
Beneath is a drawing depicting the southern wall with the entrances to Temple
Mount: on the left – the double “Hulda” gate; on the right – the “Triple gate”.
Those were the gates through which the crowds entered the temple courtyard, and
whose remains can still be seen today.
At the bottom of the staircase, a vast array of bathing and washing facilities was
unearthed. These facilities served the many visitors who used them to clean and
freshen up before entering the holy grounds of the temple.
Above is the Triple Gate, which was blocked up
by the Muslim conquerors. The grand stairs
leading up to the gates have recently been
reconstructed.
On the left – the stairs leading to the “Hulda”
gate, and a part of its frame head. Today the
gate is hidden by a building from the Omah
period.
Beneath – the Western Wall, which, as explained before, is a part of
the supporting walls for the temple area.
The total length of the wall is 488 meters, but only 57 meters face the
square. The height of the south western section is 30 meters, and in
the middle of the square it is 18 meters.
The Wall is built of huge hewn stones placed very precisely one on top of the
other without any cement to secure them together. Some of them weigh many
tons, and the largest one, which can be observed at the “Wall Tunnel”,
measures 13.6 m long, 4.5 m wide, and 3.5 m high, and weighs 570 tons !
The time is half past midnight on a regular week day. The
praying area in front of the Wall is full of people, as if it were the
middle of the day. Some stand glued to the wall, praying to God
with devotion, some are silent while others may cry out loud. Some
people kiss the cold stones, and may even shed tears. A stranger may
find it difficult to understand, but will definitely feel the electrifying
holy atmosphere of the place.
The Wall is dramatically light up, but the people are only mindful of the
stones in front of them, of their prayer, and of God.
Soon after the demise of King Herod ( in the year 4 BC), a man
was born in Israel whose influence on the world will be
unparalleled.
A simple Jewish family lived in Nazareth: the father, Joseph, was a carpenter,
the mother, Miriam, was a housewife. According to the Christian belief,
Miriam was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The new born was called Yeshua,
and he grew up to become the Messiah for millions of believers. We shall skip
the birth and childhood of this Jew, and get straight to his last years.
When Jesus was approximately 30 years old, he met on the shore of the river
Jordan a relative, John “The Baptist”, an eccentric Messianic who preached
the strict following of Jewish scripture, and the purifying of mind and body
by bathing in the Jordan river. Jesus was deeply impressed by this meeting,
felt an overwhelming ecstasy, and concluded that he might be the person
chosen to bring redemption to his people.
However, only the tragic death of John (he was beheaded by the executioners
of Herod Antipas) caused Jesus to start actively preaching purity, devotion
and the following of God. He was active mainly in the Galilee, did a few
miracles, and then, just before Passover, he arrived in Jerusalem.
When Jesus arrives at Temple Mount, excited crowds are getting ready to enter the
Temple compound. People are purchasing chickens or lambs in order to hand them to
the priests to be sacrificed to God in their name. At the money- exchange booths,
foreign currency is exchanged for shekels, so that levies can be paid at the temple. The
place looks like a colorful, noisy, and dirty market. Jesus feels that this is disrespectful
of the temple: he gets angry, starts chasing the chickens, upturns tables, and shouts
against the corruption of the priesthood, and the lightheaded popular attitude towards
the holiness of the temple. He calls upon his listeners to adhere strictly to the laws of
the Torah, the Holy Scriptures.
Jesus’ actions and ideas aggravate the Jewish nobility, and the Roman authorities
worry that another false prophet may cause trouble, even revolt, so they try to lock
him up and to prosecute him.
Room of The Last Supper
Jesus spends the Passover night with a plain family of a water man
who lives on Mount Zion. This place is very popular with visitors to
Jerusalem.
Jesus spends the night outside the city walls, as far away as
possible from the law enforcing officers. He rests his head on a
rock, as seen in the picture below, but he is restless and worried.
Not long after, the Sanhedrin messengers arrive, led by his
pupil Judas Iscariot who hands him over to his persecutors for
money. Henceforth Judas Iscariot’s name becomes synonymous
with treachery and disloyalty.
This is the handsome “Church of All Nations”, which was built over the rock
at Gat Shmanim where Jesus was sitting at the time of his arrest.
Jesus is questioned before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish rabbinical court), who
try to prove his guilt. If he admits to claiming that he is the Messiah, he can be
sentenced to death. However, the Sanhedrin do not carry out the death sentence;
rather, they hand him over to the Roman Governor Pontius Pilatus at the
Antonia Fortress. The Roman soldiers lead him through the Via Dolorosa to the
Golgotha Hill, where he is crucified according to the Roman custom of the time.
The Road of Suffering – Via Dolorosa.
The Antonia Fortress in the Holy land Model
Along the Via Dolorosa there are 14 stations, each
marking a certain event that happened to Jesus on his Way of
Suffering. This metal work of art, placed near the entrance to
the Church of the Grave, depicts some of those events.
Most “stations” are marked by
special features. On the left,
“Station no. 2”, is the Church of
Flagellation, where the Romans
flogged Jesus and put thorns on his
head.
Five of the stations are situated
inside the area of the Church of the
Grave.
Station no. 3 marks the place
where Jesus fell down for the
first time under the weight of
the heavy cross he was carrying.
Jesus is led to the Golgotha Hill, where he is crucified. After a few
hours, the Jewish owner of a burial cave nearby by the name of Joseph
Haramati asks for permission to take him down off the cross and bury him
properly, and permission is granted. Jesus is taken off the cross and is taken
into the cave, as shown in this picture placed at the entrance to the Church of
the Grave. The Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected, that he met with
his pupils again, and only after that he went to heaven.
On the left – Jesus’ cave of the grave, within the Church of the
Grave.
Jesus died as a proper Jew. He preached the strict following
of the Jewish commandments, and not the creation of a new
religion. His pupils, who spread his teaching, turned it into a new
religion. In fact, the first Christians were persecuted by the
Romans, and Christianity was recognized as a legitimate religion
only 300 years after the death of Jesus. Only then did it start
spreading all over the world.
Constantinos was the emperor who made Christianity the official
religion of the Roman Empire and who is considered to be the
first Byzantine Caesar. His mother, Helena, went to Jerusalem in
326 AC, and with the aid of a (Jewish) guide “located” the
Golgotha Hill, where she built the first “Church of the Grave”.
The building was ruined and rebuilt several times over the
centuries, and the present building is from the 12th century, built
by the crusaders.
The schedule at the Church Of the Grave is strictly divided
between the various Christian denominations, each gets a certain
amount of time for its followers to pray and conduct their
particular ceremonies.
The façade of the Church of the Grave.
An example of
time allocation
to the various
denominations
Top left – the
Armenians
On the right- the
Franciscans
Below – The
Knights of Malta
Around 600 years after the death of Jesus, probably in 570 AC,
Mohammed, son of the El Koreish tribe in Arabia, was born.
At the age of 40, when secluded in a cave, he had a “vision” – the
angel Gibril appeared in front of him and instructed him to read
some verses from the Koran. Mohammed refused, since he was
illiterate, but when the angel insisted he succeeded in reading.
Excited, he told his wife what had happened to him. In time he
received from the angel more parts of the Koran – 144 chapters in
all.
Mohammed was persecuted, fled from Mecca to Medina, fought
with his followers against his enemies, and finally, in 629, he
conquered Mecca, cleaned the Kaaba Stone which was used by
pagans, and turned it into the holiest site for Islam. Every Muslim
must visit the Stone of Mecca at least once in his lifetime.
It should be emphasized that Jerusalem is never mentioned in the
Koran: it became holy to Islam only after it was conquered in 638.
The Dome of the Rock was built in 691 by the Halif Abd El-Malik.
This is the oldest existing Islamic building: it has remained where
it was erected, unchanged except for periodic renovations. It was
built in the middle of Temple Mount, over the “Drinking Stone”,
right where the ruined Jewish temple used to stand. According to
Islamic tradition, Mohammed arrived here riding a winged horse
(El Bouraque), stood on the Drinking Stone, and ascended to
heaven.
The building of the Dome of the Rock serves not as a mosque but
rather for personal prayer, particularly for women.
In the Koran, the place from which Mohammed ascended to
heaven is only mentioned by the name El Aqsa Mosque (the Far
Mosque), but there is no mention of Jerusalem. Mohammed died
six years before Jerusalem was conquered by the Arabs. When the
Muslims arrived, they found a city which was holy both to the
Jews and to the Christians. For political reasons they decided to
make it holy to Islam, too, and so they built the holy mosque El
Aqsa, and Jerusalem became the third holiest city to Islam, after
Mecca and Medina.
Dome of the Rock
The first El Aqsa was built from wood by El Walid in 710.
The building was destroyed and rebuilt at least 5 times. The
present building was completed in 1035, and it serves the many
Palestinian Muslims who come to pray there every Friday.
El Aqsa and the southern part of Temple Mount as seen from
Mount Olives.
And so it happened that Jerusalem became the holy city
of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and each fought to rule
over it. The Jews were exiled from the city 2000 years ago, were
replaced by the Christians, who in turn lost it to the Muslims,
then returned during the Crusades, then were driven out once
more by the Mamlouks, and later by the Ottomans. Thus, the
city rulers changed during its history, but it has always
preserved its atmosphere of holiness, and has remained a
magnet of mysticism and attraction to millions of pilgrims who
flock to it from all corners of the world.
Today one of the few holy places left to the Jews is the
Western Wall, which is a section of the western supporting wall of
the temple’s courtyard.
Another remnant of the Jewish past is the “Burnt House” – a
house of a wealthy Jewish family from the year 70 AC which
was burned by the Romans, together with the temple. Also left
are the ruins of some ancient synagogues.
The Western Wall, and, overlooking it from above, the Dome
of the Rock and The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.
Some people are getting ready for
the future, practicing playing on
David’s harp… And someone has also
constructed a golden candelabrum, to
be ready for the Third Temple ? ! ?
The typical Muslim focal point, The Dome of the Rock, can be
observed from every place in Jerusalem. Here it is seen from the
Tower of David, with Mount Olives in the background.
And here it is seen from the East, facing Westward.
El Aqsa Mosque, although it does not have a golden dome,
still shines impressively when dramatically lit up at night.
Christian Jerusalem rules the skyline with its tall,
impressive church domes. here is The church of Dormission
Church Notre Dame de France
Church of Maria Magdalena
We shall conclude with a look, through a lovely lattice work in
the Church of the Christian Tear, at Temple Mount, Dome of
the Rock, and others.
We have wondered through various places
in Jerusalem, and everywhere we turned, we
were met by a shroud of holiness, which every
time seemed different, depending on the
spectator, his religion, and the particular site he
was observing.
igal morag - [email protected]
You are welcome to visit my site at
http://morag.artvision.co.il
english version - gila Kaye