Jerusalem: Model of the Second Temple
description: This scale model of Second Temple Jerusalem resides at the Israel Museum in modern Jerusalem. This particular photograph is looking west and shows a reconstruction of the Second Temple itself (after <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's renovations). The <span class="tooltip" title=' The holiest place in a temple. In the Jerusalem Temple the phrase refers to the room where it was believed that God’s intangible presence dwelt. Further Reading '>Holy of Holies would have been at the far west of the main Temple building, behind the large doorway. The open-air altar stood in the inner court, between the large gate (known as the Gate of Nikanor) and the steps that are visible at the lower center of the photo. The walls in the immediate foreground (at the bottom of the photo) would have separated the Court of the Gentiles (where anybody was allowed) from the Court of the Women (where only Jews were allowed).
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Model of the Antonia Fortress
description: This scale model of Second Temple Jerusalem resides at the Israel Museum in modern Jerusalem. This particular photograph is looking from north to south at the Antonia Fortress, which sat at the north edge of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount complex (the Temple building of which can be seen behind it). The Antonia Fortress was a military barracks that was built by <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod and was used to garrison Roman troops when <span class="tooltip" title=' The name of the administrative region around Jerusalem in the late Second Temple and Roman periods. Further Reading '>Judaea was ruled by a Roman procurator.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: The Western Wall/Wailing Wall
description: This photograph shows the proximity of the Western Wall (sometimes called the Wailing Wall) to the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock. The Western Wall, at the center of the photograph, is the western wall of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount that was built by <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Herod the Great and on top of which stood the Jewish Temple prior to 70 CE. It is often considered to be one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Above and to the left is the Dome of the Rock, which stands over a section of bedrock that Muslims believe is that last place that the Prophet <span class="tooltip" title=' The founder of Islam, He came from Mecca, a caravan city in the Arabian peninsula, ca. 571-632 CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Muhammad stood before embarking on his Night Journey. It is usually considered to be the third holiest site in Islam. The gray dome to the right is the Al Aqsa Mosque, which sits at the southern end of the Temple Mount. In the background is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives.
date: -0067-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock - interior view
description: This photograph of the interior of the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock shows the symmetry of the architectural plan and the lavish geometric decoration adorning the walls and arches. Beneath the dome, at the center of the structure (just on the other side of the brown wooden barrier) is the bedrock called the Sakhra. In Islamic tradition and belief, this is the last place that the Prophet <span class="tooltip" title=' The founder of Islam, He came from Mecca, a caravan city in the Arabian peninsula, ca. 571-632 CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Muhammad touched the earth before he was taken on his Night Journey. Much of the artistry of the 7th-century <span class="tooltip" title=' The name we use today for the Roman Empire in its Christian phase, which is to say, from Constantine until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. In Palestine, Byzantine rule ended with the Islamic conquest (i.e., it lasted from 332-636 CE in our region). Further Reading '>Byzantine craftsmen is preserved here from the original building period, with major supplements and restorations by the Crusaders in the 12th century and <span class="tooltip" title=' Suleiman I, also known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled from 1520-1556. He is known for building the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, which still stand today, among other things. Further Reading '>Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century. For centuries the Dome of the Rock was misnamed the Mosque of <span class="tooltip" title=' Omar, also known as Umar, was the second caliph in early Islam. He conquered Jerusalem in 638 CE. Further Reading '>Omar. Omar did erect a simple wooden mosque at the site, but that was replaced by his s…
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock - interior view
description: This is a photograph of the interior of the dome that sits on the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock. It was planned as a deliberate imitation of the vault over the Anastasis of the Holy Sepulchre; even the size of this hemisphere is within a few feet of the Sepulchre's dome. It was the <span class="tooltip" title=' Literally meaning "Successor," it was the title of the "rightly-guided" leaders of the Islamic forces after Muhammad died in 632 CE. Further Reading '>caliph's intention to raise a building that would be in the architectural tradition established by <span class="tooltip" title=' Roman emperor from 306-337 CE. He recognized Christianity as the official religion of the empire and moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul). Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Constantine but would far outshine its Christian predecessor.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Spirits
description: This photograph, taken from the top of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount platform, shows the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock in the background and the Dome of the Spirits in the foreground. The Dome of the Spirits is one of several lesser shrines that dot the top of the Temple Mount platform. According to Muslim accounts this small cupola marks the place where <span class="tooltip" title=' The founder of Islam, He came from Mecca, a caravan city in the Arabian peninsula, ca. 571-632 CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Mohammad conversed with the earlier <span class="tooltip" title=' A Semitic language from the region of Judea and Samaria. Most biblical books were written in this language. In the 19th century the Zionist movement revived it and it became the common language for modern-day Jews living in Israel. Further Reading '>Hebrew and Christian prophets. It is commonly called the Dome of the Spirits because this is also where Mohammad will summon the souls of the faithful on Judgment Day. There is an intriguing alternative interpretation of this smaller dome. It has another name: Dome of the Tablets, and it sits due west of the Golden Gate (the eastern entrance into the Second Temple's courts). This name and location has led some to suggest that it memorializes the site of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The holiest place in a temple. In the Jerusalem Temple the phrase refers to the room where it …
date: 0750-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock
description: This photograph of the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock shows its octagonal structure and its golden dome. Beneath the dome, at the center of the structure is the bedrock called the Sakhra. For centuries it was misnamed the Mosque of <span class="tooltip" title=' Omar, also known as Umar, was the second caliph in early Islam. He conquered Jerusalem in 638 CE. Further Reading '>Omar. Omar did erect a simple wooden mosque at the site, but that was replaced by his successor <span class="tooltip" title=' Literally meaning "Successor," it was the title of the "rightly-guided" leaders of the Islamic forces after Muhammad died in 632 CE. Further Reading '>Caliph Abd al-Malik, who commissioned the present octagonal shrine, which was begun in 687 CE and completed in 691 CE.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, and Al Aqsa Mosque
description: This photograph of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount shows the relationship of the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock (the Kubbat as-Sakhra) to the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa Mosque. Together they make up the Haram esh-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), the Islamic sanctuary created in the days of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The first Islamic dynasty after the period of the caliphs (661-750 CE). Their capital was in Damascus. Further Reading '>Umayyad Dynasty (in the 7th century CE).
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount - phases of the Sakhra
description: This 3-dimensional reconstruction of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount shows the various stages of construction, as well as the piece of bedrock (the Sakhra) that sits at the center of the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock (the Kubbat as Sakhra).
date: -0920-01-01/0700-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock
description: This close-up of the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock shows the beauty and riches of its present decoration. It was commissioned by Abd al-Malik in 687 CE and completed in 691 CE. <span class="tooltip" title=' Suleiman I, also known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled from 1520-1556. He is known for building the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, which still stand today, among other things. Further Reading '>Suleiman the Magnificent carried out extensive restorations of the building in the 16th century, but the gold sheathing had not survived the Middle Ages. An unattractive lead dome crowned the shrine until modern restorations began in 1958, when the building received its present golden-colored roof of bronze-aluminum alloy.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock
description: This photograph shows the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock (Arabic: "Kubbat as Sakhra") looking east. For centuries it was misnamed the Mosque of <span class="tooltip" title=' Omar, also known as Umar, was the second caliph in early Islam. He conquered Jerusalem in 638 CE. Further Reading '>Omar. Omar did erect a simple wooden mosque at the site, but that was replaced by his successor <span class="tooltip" title=' Literally meaning "Successor," it was the title of the "rightly-guided" leaders of the Islamic forces after Muhammad died in 632 CE. Further Reading '>Caliph Abd al-Malik, who commissioned the present octagonal shrine, which was begun in 687 CE and completed in 691 CE. In the background, to the right, you can see the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives with its ancient Jewish cemetery on the slopes. The distant bell tower is from the Russian Monastery of the Ascension and the onion-shaped domes just to the left of the Dome of the Rock belong to the Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene, built in the 19th century. In the forefront are houses of the Old City of Jerusalem.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
description: This aerial view of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, which is looking west, shows not just the massive Temple Mount complex with its retaining walls and the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock, but also the Al Aqsa Mosque (to the left, at the south end of the Temple Mount complex). Note the flat surface of huge stone slabs that makes up the Temple Mount, which was an artificial creation of <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod and his engineers. Beyond the Temple Mount is the Old City of Jerusalem.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock - fish-eye view of the interior
description: This fish-eye photograph was taken inside the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock. Above you can see the intricate artistic styling that decorates the underside of the dome; below you can see the section of bedrock around which the building was built. Muslims believe that this rock was the place from which the Prophet <span class="tooltip" title=' The founder of Islam, He came from Mecca, a caravan city in the Arabian peninsula, ca. 571-632 CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Muhammad left on his Night Journey.
date: 0687-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: The raking light in this aerial view of the Old City of Jerusalem, looking east toward the <span class="tooltip" title=' The name of the administrative region around Jerusalem in the late Second Temple and Roman periods. Further Reading '>Judaean Desert, clearly shows the Old City walls, which were built according to the orders of <span class="tooltip" title=' Suleiman I, also known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled from 1520-1556. He is known for building the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, which still stand today, among other things. Further Reading '>Suleiman the Magnificent in the first half of the 16th century CE. In the distance is the <span class="tooltip" title=' The arid region between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Further Reading '>Judaean Desert. Beyond the walls of the Old City, is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives and its Jewish cemetery (to the right of the tower on the ridge, flowing down the hillside toward the southeastern corner of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount). The <span class="tooltip" title=' One of the valleys that borders Jerusalem on the east and south sides. Further Reading '>Hinnom Valley is just out of sight at the bottom of the picture. Perhaps most interesting in this picture is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A relatively shallow valley that runs through the middle of the Old City of Jerusalem, emptying into the Hinnom Valley (on the south side of the city). Fur…
date: 1500-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem in the time of the First Crusade: Map
description: This map of Jerusalem during time of the <span class="tooltip" title=' A series of nine Christian military expeditions against the Muslims (primarily) between 1099 and 1272 CE. They are best known for Christian campaigns to the "Holy Land" to rid it of the ruling Muslims. Further Reading '>Crusades highlights the 3 religious foci in the city: the <span class="tooltip" title=" Commissioned to be built in Jerusalem by Constantine's mother Helen in 326 CE, ostensibly over the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, it became the center of Byzantine Jerusalem. Further Reading ">Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the yellow circle) and the two additional crusader structures that were erected on <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount: the crusaders converted the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock into the Templum Domini and the Al Aqsa Mosque into the Templum Salmonis.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
description: This aerial view of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, which is looking west, shows not just the massive Temple Mount complex and the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock, but also the Al Aqsa Mosque (to the left, at the south end of the Temple Mount complex) and the eastern wall of the Temple Mount with the sealed Golden Gate (known also as the Mercy Gate and the Beautiful gate). The gate was sealed in the <span class="tooltip" title=' The Turkish empire from the 16th-20th centuries CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Ottoman period. Note the tower ('minaret' in Arabic) at the top right (northwest) corner of the Temple Mount compound. It belongs to a 13th century mosque called the Ghawanima. The rectangular building to its right (north) with the white roof is a modern Arab school called Omaria. The mosque, the minaret and the Omaria all sit of the ruins and foundation of the Roman-period Antonia fortress.

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: In the background of this aerial photograph of the Old City of Jerusalem we see the hills of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The name of the administrative region around Jerusalem in the late Second Temple and Roman periods. Further Reading '>Judaean desert, as well as Transjordan in the distance. In the near distance, just beyond the city, is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives and <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill just north of the Mount of Olives, on which the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is located. Further Reading '>Mt. Scopus. In the center of the photograph is the current Old City with its <span class="tooltip" title=' The Turkish empire from the 16th-20th centuries CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Ottoman walls. The yellow square designates the Christian Quarter with the <span class="tooltip" title=" Commissioned to be built in Jerusalem by Constantine's mother Helen in 326 CE, ostensibly over the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, it became the center of Byzantine Jerusalem. Further Reading ">Church of the Holy Sepulchre at its center (that is what the arrow is pointing to). The Red oval is around the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount complex, at the center of which is the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock.
date: -0066-01-01/2000-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount
description: This aerial photograph of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount compound, taken from the northeast, shows the large platform at its center, on which sits the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock. To the left of the Dome is the Al Aqsa Mosque, and in the close foreground (at the bottom of the photo) is the eastern wall of Temple Mount with the sealed Golden Gate (known also as the Mercy Gate and the Beautiful gate). The gate was sealed in the <span class="tooltip" title=' The Turkish empire from the 16th-20th centuries CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Ottoman period. In the background is the Old City of Jerusalem and even further in the background are the high rises of the modern city.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount wall
description: This photograph shows a vertical seam in the eastern wall of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The 100 foot-wide southernmost stretch of the wall (the left half in the photo) is clearly Herodian construction and indicative of the <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's additions to the Temple Mount.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount
description: In this photograph the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock is visible in the upper left and the dome of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa Mosque is visible in the upper right. Below them, Robinson's Arch is visible, springing out of the Western Wall (to the left). The tower rising up at the center of the photo is a minaret (a tower used by the announcer of Muslim prayers), built by the <span class="tooltip" title=' The Arabic word for "owned". The term was initially applied to the warriors who were servants of the Ayyubids, but was later used in reference to the Mamluk dynasty (1260-1516 CE) that was created by their rise to power. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Mamluks in the 14th century for the Fachariya ('women's') Mosque on the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount. In this photograph, the lighter brown color is indicative of earlier remains that have recently been excavated.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: In this photograph of the Old City of Jerusalem after a winter snow, the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount and <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock are visible in the distance (to the east), as is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives in the background and the hills of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The name of the administrative region around Jerusalem in the late Second Temple and Roman periods. Further Reading '>Judaean desert to the far right. The grey dome at the bottom of the photograph is the <span class="tooltip" title=" Commissioned to be built in Jerusalem by Constantine's mother Helen in 326 CE, ostensibly over the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, it became the center of Byzantine Jerusalem. Further Reading ">Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Jerusalem: Solomon's Stables
description: This photograph was taken underneath the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, in the area known as Solomon's Stables (at the southern end of the Temple Mount, underneath the current Al Aqsa Mosque). Rather than being stables, they are cavernous halls that were built during <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's expansion of the Temple Mount. The arches supported flat paving stones on the Temple Mount's surface, thus allowing Herod to level and flatten the elevated surface of the Temple Mount compound. The monumental steps on the southern side of the Temple Mount led through the Hulda Gates into this area before reaching the top of the Temple Mount.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: south of the Temple Mount
description: This aerial photograph shows the southern part of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount and its massive wall. In the foreground of this photograph is the spine of the hill that was the location of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David in the First Temple period. To the top right is the building of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa mosque (its grey dome is just cut off), and to its left, the modern building with the arched windows is Yeshivat Esh ha-Torah (a Jewish orthodox learning center).
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Herod's enlarged Temple Mount
description: This aerial photograph of the modern <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, looking toward the northeast (with the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock roughly in its center and the gray dome of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa Mosque at its southern end), one can see just how large and well-built <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's expansion of the Jewish Temple complex was. The resulting complex was 36 acres in size and the southern extents soared impressively above the surrounding landscape. The southeastern corner is 130 feet above bedrock and more than twice that height above the <span class="tooltip" title=' The valley that runs southeast from Jerusalem down to the Dead Sea. Further Reading '>Kidron Valley floor. It is truly one of the great architectural feats of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Refers both to a period (i.e., from Alexander the Great to the Romans, which is 332 - 64 BCE in our region) and the Greek culture that Alexander brought. Further Reading '>Hellenistic or Roman periods. In the center background you can see the water tower and buildings of the Hebrew University campus on <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill jus…
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Robinson's Arch (reconstruction)
description: In this drawing, the yellow pieces are those that have been found in archaeological excavations and the rest are an architect's reconstruction of how the southwestern corner of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount probably looked in the <span class="tooltip" title=" 519 BCE - 70 CE ">Second Temple period: a monumental stairway led to the southern part of the Temple Mount. The yellow portion attached to the wall of the Temple Mount is known by its name 'Robinson's arch' (after the 19th century archaeologist Edward Robinson who found it).
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Robinson's Arch
description: This photograph shows the 'springer' for Robinson's Arch. In 1838, Edward Robinson noticed the strange, curved stones jutting out of the southwestern corner of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount (to the upper left of center in this photograph). He realized that these stones were the 'springers' (i.e., the foundation, or the beginning) of an arch that probably supported a walkway that connected to the top of the Temple Mount on one side and to a stairway on the other. Later excavators found archaeological evidence for the stairwell, thus confirming Robinson's theory. The grey dome at the top of the picture belongs to the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits inside the Temple Mount compound.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Herod's Temple walls
description: This photograph shows the detail of extra-long blocks that <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's engineers used to bind the existing exterior walls of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount compound to the southern addition that he was building. Some of these blocks measure 39 feet long and weigh more than 100 tons.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Broad Stairs at the Temple Mount
description: This monumental staircase, located to the south of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount compound (the wall of which is seen in the background) is one of two that led up to the Double and Triple Huldah Gates and into the Temple Mount. They were built as part of <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod the Great's monumental renovation project. This particular staircase is 200 feet across and allowed access to the Temple Mount platform from the Lower City (know today as the <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David) and other parts of the southern city of Jerusalem. They were probably in use until after the <span class="tooltip" title=' A series of nine Christian military expeditions against the Muslims (primarily) between 1099 and 1272 CE. They are best known for Christian campaigns to the "Holy Land" to rid it of the ruling Muslims. Further Reading '>Crusades.
date: -0019-01-01/1400-01-01

Jerusalem in the Late Roman period: Map
description: This plan shows what Jerusalem looked like after the Roman emperor <span class="tooltip" title=' A Roman Emperor from 117-138 CE. He is responsible for creating a Roman colony Aelia Capitolina near the site of Jerusalem in the wake of the Bar Kokhba revolt. Further Reading '>Hadrian (117-138 CE) ordered the establishment of a colony named <span class="tooltip" title=' Aelia Capitolina is the name that Hadrian gave to Jerusalem after he expelled the Jews and made it a Roman colony in 135 CE. The name lasted until the time of Constantine. Further Reading '>Aelia Capitolina in 130-132 CE. Some scholars believe that a temple to Jupiter was erected on the site where the Jewish temple had been, which is what this map shows. The camp of the Tenth Roman Legion occupied the southwestern corner of the city.
date: 0070-01-01/0313-01-01

Jerusalem: "Place of the Trumpeting" inscription
description: This stone, with an inscription in <span class="tooltip" title=' A Semitic language from the region of Judea and Samaria. Most biblical books were written in this language. In the 19th century the Zionist movement revived it and it became the common language for modern-day Jews living in Israel. Further Reading '>Hebrew that reads, 'To the place of trumpeting to an(nounce)…,' was found in excavations at the base of the southwest corner of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount (where many things were found that had been thrown off of the Temple Mount by Roman soldiers that destroyed it in 70 CE). It likely originally marked the spot (or gave directions to the spot) where a priest would have blown the trumpet that announced the beginning and end of the <span class="tooltip" title=' The weekly day of rest in the Jewish religious calendar. Further Reading '>Sabbath.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Triple Huldah Gates
description: These three doorways, which were blocked up after the <span class="tooltip" title=" 1099-1291 CE ">Crusader period, led from the monumental steps on the south side of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount into the Temple Mount and the area called Solomon's Stables. They were built into the base of the Temple Mount during <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod's massive renovation project and allowed access to the Temple Mount from the Lower City (known today as the <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David) and other areas to the south.
date: -0019-01-01/1400-01-01

Jerusalem: Model of the Antonia Fortress
description: This scale model of Second Temple Jerusalem resides at the Israel Museum in modern Jerusalem. This particular photograph is looking from north to south at the Antonia Fortress, which sat at the north edge of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount complex (the Temple building of which can be seen behind it). The Antonia Fortress was a military barracks that was built by <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod the Great and was used to garrison Roman troops when <span class="tooltip" title=' The name of the administrative region around Jerusalem in the late Second Temple and Roman periods. Further Reading '>Judaea was ruled by a Roman procurator.
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem in the Byzantine period: Map
description: This plan shows what Jerusalem looked like in the <span class="tooltip" title=' The name we use today for the Roman Empire in its Christian phase, which is to say, from Constantine until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. In Palestine, Byzantine rule ended with the Islamic conquest (i.e., it lasted from 332-636 CE in our region). Further Reading '>Byzantine period. The Temple stood in ruins, as did the short-lived Temple of Jupiter that some scholars believe was erected in its place. Multiple churches were built during and after the reign of the Emperor <span class="tooltip" title=' Roman emperor from 306-337 CE. He recognized Christianity as the official religion of the empire and moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul). Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Constantine (306-337 CE), the largest and most notable being the <span class="tooltip" title=" Commissioned to be built in Jerusalem by Constantine's mother Helen in 326 CE, ostensibly over the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, it became the center of Byzantine Jerusalem. Further Reading ">Church of the Holy Sepulchre (just to the left of the center) and the Nea Church (at the bottom). There were two cardos (main streets) that ran through the city from north to south, the eastern (left-most) of which was only discovered in 2006.
date: 0313-01-01/0746-01-01

Jerusalem in the Second Temple period: Map
description: This plan shows what Jerusalem looked like in the late <span class="tooltip" title=" 519 BCE - 70 CE ">Second Temple period, prior to the Jewish revolt of 66-70 CE. The Jewish Temple occupied the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount and the upper-classes lived in the Upper City (known today as <span class="tooltip" title=' A relatively low hill within the Old City of Jerusalem, on its western side. Further Reading '>Mt. Zion), across the <span class="tooltip" title=' A relatively shallow valley that runs through the middle of the Old City of Jerusalem, emptying into the Hinnom Valley (on the south side of the city). Further Reading '>Tyropoeon Valley from the Temple Mount, near <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Herod's Palace. The city walls encompassed all that had been the <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David, as well as most of what is the modern Old City.
date: -0030-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: Model of the Second Temple
description: This scale model of Second Temple Jerusalem resides at the Israel Museum in modern Jerusalem. This particular photograph is looking west and shows a reconstruction of the Second Temple itself (after <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod the Great's renovations). The <span class="tooltip" title=' The holiest place in a temple. In the Jerusalem Temple the phrase refers to the room where it was believed that God’s intangible presence dwelt. Further Reading '>Holy of Holies would have been at the far west of the main Temple building, behind the large doorway. The open-air altar stood in the inner court, between the large entrance door and the steps that are visible at the lower center of the photo. The walls in the immediate foreground (at the bottom of the photo) would have separated the Court of the Gentiles (where anybody was allowed) from the Court of the Women (where only Jews were allowed, and women could not go beyond).
date: -0019-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: The Temple Mount - growth in the Hasmonaean and Herodian periods
description: This slide shows the ways and degrees in which the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount in Jerusalem was expanded in the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also called "Maccabean," the two words refer to the dynasty of independent Jewish rulers in the 2nd-1st centuries BCE (167-63 BCE) who came to power after the Maccabaean Revolt. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Hasmonaean (blue area) and Herodian periods (purple area).
date: -0167-01-01/0015-01-01

Jerusalem: Temple Mount - Greek inscription
description: This fragment of a Greek inscription inscribed in stone is one of several large stone notices that were erected around the Temple precinct entrances in the <span class="tooltip" title=" 519 BCE - 70 CE ">Second Temple Period. A complete version of the same text was found in the 19th century, and it is a 'keep out' sign that warns Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews) that they may not proceed beyond the entrance point at the risk of death.
date: -0064-01-01/0070-01-01

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: This aerial photograph of Jerusalem, looking north, shows the hilly character of the area. The Old City, including the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock and the <span class="tooltip" title=' The only mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif. It sits on the southwest corner of the platform and has a gray dome. Further Reading '>Al-Aqsa Mosque, can be seen in the center of the picture, and the skyscrapers of the New City are in the background. In the middle of the picture a spur of a hill descends from the Old City toward the intersection of the shadows that are created by the hill on which the Old City sits. The <span class="tooltip" title=' Atributary of the Kidron valley, it is the valley to the east of Jerusalem. It connects with the Hinnom Valley (which comes from the west and around the south side of the city) to form the Kidron Valley (which flows south from that junction down to the Dead Sea). Further Reading '>Jehoshaphat Valley sits in the shadow that curves around the Old City to the right, while the <span class="tooltip" title=' One of the valleys that borders Jerusalem on the east and south sides. Further Reading '>Hinnom Valley curves around to the left side of the Old City (the valley itself is not clearly visible because of the other hill in the foreground). These two valleys intersect at the bottom of the spurand become the <span class="tooltip" title=' The valley that runs southeast from Jerusalem down to the Dead Sea. Further Reading '>Kidron Valley, which then runs south all the way to the <span class="tooltip" title=' The lowest place on earth (1,388 feet below sea level), it is located to the east of the Central Hill, between the modern countries of Israel and Jordan. Further Reading '>Dead Sea. The <span class="tooltip" t…

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: This aerial photograph shows the <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David and the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount above it. Notice the ridge upon which the City of <span class="tooltip" title=' The second king of Israel who founded Jerusalem as a new capital city. David ruled from ca. 1000-970 BCE and was succeeded by his son Solomon. Further Reading '>David was built (to the right of the road running from the upper center to the bottom of the photograph). The place of the Temple Mount was outside of the City of David until the time of Solomon. As the highest point in the area it became the location for David's 'high place' altar and Solomon's temple.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
description: This photograph of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount was taken from its southeast corner (i.e., it is looking northwest). The Temple Mount is visible in the center of the photograph, as is the Al Aqsa Mosque (on the left) and both the Old City and New City of Jerusalem (in the background). The ruins at the bottom left of the photograph are archaeological remains from the <span class="tooltip" title=" 1099-1291 CE ">Crusader period.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
description: In this view of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, looking west, one can clearly see the Dome of the Chain (between the five arches and the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock), and the Al Aqsa Mosque (the large building complex on the left). The Dome of the Chain is one of the oldest structures on top of the Temple Mount and was used as a prayer house.

Jerusalem: City of David - map outline
description: This topographical map of Jerusalem shows the present Old City of Jerusalem in dark blue (the walls of which were built by the <span class="tooltip" title=' The Turkish empire from the 16th-20th centuries CE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>Ottoman Turks in the 16th century CE) and the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount in the southeastern corner of the Old City. The <span class="tooltip" title=' Built by David ca. 970 BCE on the site of the earlier Jebusite city Jebus; it was also called Jerusalem. It physically sits on the slope of hill south of the modern Old City and Temple Mount, near the Gihon Spring. Further Reading '>City of David is outlined in light blue, at the south (and lower) end of the Hill of Ophel. During Solomon's reign the city was expanded northward (up the hill), and the Temple was built at the highest point on the hill (the red square within Solomon's city).
date: -1000-01-01/-0800-01-01

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: This photograph of the Old City of Jerusalem shows the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount and <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock in the background and the Western Wall Plaza in the center of the picture. The Western Wall (also called the Wailing Wall) is the western side of the Temple Mount. Because the Temple Mount complex is sacred to Muslims, and religious Jews do not want to inadvertently walk on the space where the (Jewish) <span class="tooltip" title=' The holiest place in a temple. In the Jerusalem Temple the phrase refers to the room where it was believed that God’s intangible presence dwelt. Further Reading '>Holy of Holies was located in the <span class="tooltip" title=" 519 BCE - 70 CE ">Second Temple period, the Western Wall Plaza became Judaism's most holy site and place of prayer.

Jerusalem: aerial view
description: In this photograph of the Old City of Jerusalem after a winter snow, the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount and <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock are visible in the distance (to the east), as is the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mount of Olives in the background. The grey dome at the bottom of the photograph is the <span class="tooltip" title=" Commissioned to be built in Jerusalem by Constantine's mother Helen in 326 CE, ostensibly over the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, it became the center of Byzantine Jerusalem. Further Reading ">Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
description: This aerial view of the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount, looking west, shows not just the massive Temple Mount complex and the <span class="tooltip" title=' "Kubbat ash-Sakhra" in Arabic, this is the golden-domed shrine that is located on the Temple Mount (or Haram esh-Sharif) in Jerusalem. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 CE. Further Reading '>Dome of the Rock, but also the Al Aqsa Mosque, to the left (this is the southern end of the Temple Mount complex). The Old City wall is visible at the bottom of the photograph. Note the flat enormous stone slabs that make up the Temple Mount platform. These were hewn by <span class="tooltip" title=' A Jewish king of Edumaean descent who ruled Palestine under Roman authority from 40-4 BCE. Further Reading | Even Further Reading '>King Herod the Great and his engineers.

Jerusalem: Mount of Olives
description: This view, looking east toward the <span class="tooltip" title=' A hill immediately east of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Jehoshaphat Valley runs between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Further Reading '>Mt. of Olives, shows the modern Seven Arches Hotel on its summit and the Jewish cemetery that has been built on its western slope. At the base of the Mt. of Olives is the steep <span class="tooltip" title=' The valley that runs southeast from Jerusalem down to the Dead Sea. Further Reading '>Kidron Valley, which cuts dramatically between the <span class="tooltip" title=' Also known as the Haram esh-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic), it is the site where the Jewish Temple stood and where the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The massive Temple Mount compound that exists today was built by Herod the Great in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE. Further Reading '>Temple Mount (and the Old City to the west) and the Mt. of Olives (to the east).