Exhibit 12a- Har HaBayis. The
entire scope of Har HaBayis as seen from the southeast.
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Exhibit 12b- Har HaBayis.
Har HaBayis as seen from Har HaTzofim (Mt.
Scopus). The Roman General, Titus, first stationed his troops on top of Har
Tzofim, northeast of the Temple Mount. This was the view he had of
his desired objective.
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Exhibit 12c- Har HaBayis. The Temple Mount as seen
through the mist from Har HaZaysim, Mt. Of Olives, east of
the Bais HaMikdash.
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Exhibit 12d- Har HaBayis and the Kossel.
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Exhibit 12e- Tower of Temple Mount. Today, there are several
towers on the Temple Mount. They are called minarets and are used by the
Moslems to call their faithful to prayer in the El Aksa
Mosque. In Temple times too, there were many towers. They served as guard
posts to protect the Bais HaMikdash from enemy invasion.
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Exhibit 12f- The Platform. The Dome of the Rock is built on an
elevated platform. The floor of the platform was part of the "Azarah,"
the central courtyard of the Bais HaMikash.
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Exhibit 12g- Wall of the Platform. The Azarah was
supported by a retaining wall. Rambam says that this wall was
called the "Cheil," a term used many times in the Mishna.
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Exhibit 12h- Room Under the Platform. There are many rooms
built under the platform. In medieval times they were used as lodging
quarters for Moslem pilgrims. Since they have not been explored or examined
in modern times we do not know if the room date back to Temple times.
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Exhibit 12i- Ariel View of Platform.
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Exhibit 12j- Dome of the Rock. The golden domed Dome of the
Rock is not a mosque. It was not built as a place of prayer. Actually it
is a Moslem shrine to protect the sacred Rock inside. Moslems consider the
Rock sacred because they believe that Mohammed was taken up to heaven from
that spot.
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Exhibit 12k- Defiled! It is the curator's opinion that the site
of the Kodash HaKadashim, Holy of Holies, is at the top of
these steps and the Rock inside the Dome is the site of the Mizbayach,
the Altar.
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