Exhibit 27a- The Southern Wall. This view shows
the entire expanse of the Southern Wall of Har HaBayis. This
wall, like the Western Wall, was built by Herod (Hurdos) a few
years before the beginning of the common era. Since 1967 much
archaeological work has been done in front of the wall exposing mikvas,
ancient homes, and large buildings. The wall of the Old City starts at the
middle of the Southern Wall and goes all the way around to the
northeastern corner of Har HaBayis. See Exhibit 27k.
|
|
|
Exhibit 27b- The Left Side of the Southern Wall. In front of
the wall are the ruins of the palace of the Sultan who built the Dome of
the Rock. The structure in front of the gray-domed El Aksa
mosque is a guard tower built by the Crusaders in the 13th
century.
|
Exhibit 27c- The Right Side of the Southern Wall. The left side
of the photo shows the excavations. Twenty-one different civilizations
have been lived in this area.
|
|
|
Exhibit 27d- Excavations. The remains of ancient Roman and
Byzantine homes and their courtyards have been unearthed.
|
Exhibit 27e- Southern Wall. In front of the right half of the
Southern Wall stand columns. These were originally from the Bais HaMikdash
but were thrown over by the enemy invaders. They were recently stood
upright and placed in the spot where they had remained fallen for 2,000
years.
|
|
|
Exhibit 27f- Temple Steps. These steps served as the main entrance
and exit of the Bais HaMikdash.
|
Exhibit 27g- The Southern Walkway. The steps led up to a
walkway. From the walkway one would pass through gateways, called the Chuldah
Gates, through a tunnel onto Har HaBayis. Many scholars
believe that Chuldah the "nevi'ah," prophetess,
was buried in this vicinity.
|
|
|
Exhibit 27h- Crusader Tower. In the middle of the Southern Wall
in an ancient tower built by the Crusaders to protect this area of the
city. There is a staircase that goes to the top and offers a wonderful
view of the Southern Wall, Har HaZaysim, and the Kidron
Valley.
|
Exhibit 27i- Double Gate. In the Bais HaMikdash
there was a double gateway here that served as the main exit. The Moslems
blocked up the gateway with small building stones. The Crusader tower
blocks from view one and a half of the gateways. Only this half of the
right Double Gate can be seen. The ornamentation is not from the Bais
HaMikdash but was added by the Byzantines in the 4th or
5th century.
|
|
|
Exhibit 27j- The Triple Gate. This triple gateway was the main
entrance into the Bais HaMikdash. Chazal call both
the Double Gate exit and the Triple Gate entrance as the Chuldah
Gates. This too has been blocked up with small stones by the Moslems. The
original Triple Gateway consisted of three rectangular openings. The
Crusaders added the arches in the 13th century.
|
Exhibit 27k- Map. This map shows the locations of some of the
exhibits in this room.
|
|
