Sunday wanderings through time

This morning we met our guide at 7.15am to walk to the Temple Mount, one of the most sacred sites in the world (at least according to the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and the current tenants, Islam.) After seeing the Dome of the Rock in books for years, and teaching about it to students, it was a wonderful feeling to ascend onto the platform, and to feel the place as a living, breathing part of so much of the history of these three religious traditions. It is a beautiful place, with places of shade created for the people to sit, to gather and to pray. The story of the construction of the Dome, which we are not allowed to enter at the present time, and the Al Aqsa mosque, at the other end of the Temple Mount, are really interesting, but I need to read up on my history to get the facts straight before I share them with you. I found so much interesting about this place, not the least being the beautiful mosaic surrounding the Dome. As one of my fellow pilgrims suggested, it seems so much more beautiful because around us were group of Muslims gathering in discussion and prayer. It is a place which is not just historically beautiful, but which is living and breathing. The Dome of the Rock marks the place for Jews and Christians where Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, and for Muslims it is the place from where Muhammad ascended into heaven during his night flight.

Coming down from the Mount, we went on a tour of the tunnels underneath/alongside the Western Wall, which was absolutely fascinating, and which brought us back to Ecce Homo, but underground. We were all surprised when the guide told us we were in an underground cistern, which was one brick wall away from the convent. Underneath the plaza of the Western Wall, and the Muslim quarter, the wall continues, and we followed it for a kilometre or so I think. The stones of the wall bear the marks of Herod, who insisted that his buildings be constructed using a signature 'stone' mark: eachstone was carved with a border, or a frame around it. So it is easy to see whether stones date from the Herodian period. (Amazing what you learn early on a Sunday morning in Jerusalem!) During our tour we passed through a tiny tiny room filled with Jewish women praying. It is considered to be the room closest to the original Holy of Holies; the dwelling place of God in the temple. It was not just interesting, it was quite moving to be there and totry and understand how they viewed this place. Orthodox Jews are not permitted to access the Temple Mount these days, as they fear that they may accidentally walk over the place of the Holy of Holies; as no one has an exact placement of where it would have been situated. I'll continue this later.