 |
|
3) WESTERN WALL PLAZA Once
called the "Wailing Wall", the Western Wall of the Temple Mount is referred to
in Hebrew as the "Kotel", the "Wall." The Western Wall Plaza
has been opened since 1967 to all people as a place of prayer and study. The varied actions and accents around us each call for our attention,
but let us move through the crowd and examine the Wall itself.
At first glance, it looks like a single wall, but closer
examination reveals that it is actually made up of three distinct layers:
At the top are smallish uniform stones, attributed to
repair work financed by Sir Moses Montefiore in 1866.
There is much speculation as to when the layers of
medium-sized stones were added. Estimates range from the Abbasayad and Omayyad
Moslems to the Crusader period.
Beneath that are the larger Herodian Stones. Close to the
bottom, these stones become more uniform and complete, clearly displaying the classic
"boss" or frame around each stone, a trademark of
Herodian building.
On the right side of the women's area of Western Wall Plaza
is Barclay's Gate, named for an American tourist who "found" it in 1848. Amazingly
enough, this portion of the Kotel is the western opening of an actual gate that led into
the Temple. Some 2,000 years later you can literally feel a chunk of history in your
hands.
You pause for a moment and absorb the immensity of it all.
The history, the strange pull this place has on our hearts. Why do
we keep coming to pray here? Why do even those who maintain a healthy skepticism
still take time to write a note to place in the Wall?
Could it be that the rough touch of the stones also touches
something deep inside us? Is there perhaps a hidden Kotel in our
hearts and souls?
You linger a while longer and find yourself a little lost in these peaceful
thoughts. Jerusalem...the Kotel...Could it be that the hidden tunnels really do reflect a
still, small place in our souls?
We pause to absorb the history, the
beauty, the radiant spirituality of this place. And with a prayer that we be successful in our
quest for truth, we head for the tunnel. 
|
|
Jewish
Calendar
Date |
TEMPLE
MOUNT
TIMELINE |
2000 |
|
 |
|
Binding
of Isaac - on Mt. Moriah |
 |
|
 |
2500 |
|
 |
|
King David buys Mt. Moriah as site for
Temple |
 |
|
 |
|
825 BCE: King Solomon
builds First Temple |
 |
3000 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
422 BCE: Babylonian exile |
|
 |
|
352 BCE: Zerubabel
and Ezra build Second
Temple |
 |
|
 |
|
Greek oppression
|
3500 |
|
 |
|
165 BCE:Chanukah; Hasmonean Rule |
 |
|
 |
|
37 BCE:
Herod siezes
power |
|
 |
|
18
BCE: Herod begins Temple Reconstruction |
 |
|
 |
|
70 CE: Second Temple Destroyed
by Titus; Roman Rule of Israel established |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
130
CE: Emperor Hadrian
plows Temple Mount, as prophesied in Micha 3:12.
132 CE: Hadrian forbids Shabbos,
circumcision; Jewish people revolt under Bar Kochba. Jews begin rebuilding Temple |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
4000 |
|
 |
|
333
CE: Traveler from Bordeaux notes that Jews still come to Temple Mount to
mourn Destruction |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
550
CE: Emperor Justinian builds
churches on Temple Mt |
 |
|
 |
|
691
CE: Caliph Abdul Malik completes
Dome of the Rock |
 |
 |
4500 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Crusaders 1099 CE - 1291 CE |
|
 |
5000 |
|
 |
|
1264
CE: Mamelukes
take Jerusalem, repair Dome of the Rock, Temple Mt |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
1300
CE: Mameluke Sultans of Egypt restore walls of Temple Mt |
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
1540
CE: Suleiman the Magnificent sets up present city wall, water tunnels,
improves Temple Mt., clears Kotel area |
 |
 |
 |
5500 |
|
 |
|
1831
CE: Egyptians under Muhamad Ali conquer Jerusalem; forbid repair of Kotel |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
1841
CE: Jewish access to Kotel granted |
 |
|
 |
|
1866
CE: Sir Moses Montefiore renovates Kotel area |
 |
|
 |
|
1889
CE: Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid confirms Jews' right to pray at holy places |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
1920 CE:British Mandate |
|
 |
|
1948
CE: State of Israel born, Jordanians occupy Old City, Jews barred from
Kotel |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
1967
CE: Six-Day War, Old City Reclaimed (Israel liberates Old City amid great
rejoicing; Kotel made accessible to all nations) |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
1996
CE: Tunnel Excavations (Kotel Tunnels open exit on Via Dolorosa;
Palestinians stage deadly riots throughout country) |
 |
 |
 |

|
|