Digital Logos Edition
A resource was needed to bring together all that is now known about the development of the manmade plateau that is the focus of the world’s interest—the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Ritmeyer’s experience as architect of the Temple Mount Excavations, coupled with his exploration of parts of the Mount and his doctoral research make him singularly qualified for the task.
Comprehensive in scope, the book begins with the Temple Mount at its zenith, under King Herod the Great. Weaving together archaeological data with historical sources Ritmeyer produces an authoritative and exhaustive reconstruction in word and picture. With the features of the Herodian Temple Mount clearly understood, the reader is led to the quest for the earlier, square Temple Mount, described by Josephus and the Mishnah. Theories are fairly examined and evaluated as the search progresses. Clues discovered by the author provide compelling evidence that all previous proposals be reexamined. This rich accumulation of archaeological and literary evidence suggests a solution for Jerusalem’s enduring enigma—i.e., the actual location of the Temple from the time of Solomon onward. One amazing discovery was the original emplacement of the Ark of the Covenant on the rocky floor of what can be identified as the Holy of Holies. This work distills three millennia of history and thirty years of intensive research into the definitive book on the Temple Mount.
“Apparently the old court which Solomon had built had become too small to accommodate the many pilgrims coming to Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat may have added this new court to the existing Temple complex. This would be in harmony with the observation made by Josephus, when he wrote in War 5, ‘In course of ages, however, through the constant additions of the people to the embankment, the hill-top by this process of levelling up was widened.’ The size and location of this additional court is not clear from the text.” (Page 297)
“Thus, from the point of view of architectural planning, the description in Middot seems to refer to entry to the Temple court by the Double Gate only.” (Page 86)
“Contrary to tradition, the Western Wall is not a remnant of the Solomonic Temple, but rather a section of the massive retaining walls that Herod built almost a thousand years later in order to support the enormous substructure needed to extend the Temple platform.” (Page 20)
“are usually based on the artist’s personal interpretation of the biblical text. Some designs are more fanciful” (Page 279)
“King Herod the Great followed a similar procedure when he built the Second Temple many centuries later.” (Page 286)