Israel

Monday, June 19

As we discussed yesterday, archaeologists love to go back to the earliest periods of a site. It helps us understand the complete picture through the layers of time. For those who accompanied me to Rome last year, you may remember that I visited the ancient necropolis hidden beneath St. Peter’s basilica. It was there hundreds of years before Christianity. Peter was buried in that spot, then the church was built upon the rock that Jesus promised (both the bedrock and the name Peter means “rock”). The physical, metaphorical, and spiritual all came together in one place. Knowing the history truly increases the awe.

Today centers around the Temple Mount with its long and complex history. Where should we begin? You’re right! As early as possible. How early can we get? How about the dawn of time? Here is a photo from afar. 

You may be wondering: what’s under the golden roof of the Dome of the Rock? There, you will find the Foundation Stone. Jews believe this slab of limestone was the precise place where the world began. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also the same place where Yahweh asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. This is where the covenant began. 

But that’s not all.

The stone was also the very heart of the Jewish temple. Some believe it was the location of a room called the Holy of Holies. It contained the Ark of the Covenant, the chest with the original Ten Commandments inside. So, the Dome of the Rock is a pretty darn big deal. The only thing bigger would be a portal to heaven itself. All of these reasons are why Jews consider this site so sacred. 

But…there’s a little problem.

In 621 CE, Muhammad DID visit heaven itself, and his trip began from this same stone. He ascended to meet the prophets and Allah. It is called the Night Journey and it makes the Temple Mount the third holiest place in Islam, behind Medina and Mecca. It’s also the oldest intact Muslim structure ever built. Construction began in 692 CE and completed in 1023 CE.

See the problem? This small section of earth is the first most important place in the world for Jews, the third most important place in the world for Muslims, and the Christians also think it’s pretty darn cool due the connection with Jesus (more on that later). 

Who controls the Temple Mount? The Jewish Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE and the area eventually became abandoned. Muhammad had his journey in 621 CE and Islam took over a few years after that. I’ll skip the Crusades and other occupations to basically sum it up to this: the Muslims control the entire Temple Mount. To make it even more complex, the Jews believe that when the Messiah comes (their Messiah, not Jesus), he will destroy what’s there now and construct a new third temple. Kinda messy, huh?

So who can visit this most revered site? The quick answer is: don’t get your hopes up. To use a colloquialism, Muslims don’t f*** around. Non-Muslims are forbidden to enter any of the buildings, including the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. There are limited hours that tourists can walk around the outside only, but that can be denied at any time. Everyone must be dressed appropriately and follow the commands given by the intimidating men with automatic rifles. There is absolutely no praying nor religious articles permitted (they WILL check your bags). The rules are to enforce respect, but also to reduce heated confrontations that often end in violence.

Luckily, I was able to be there during the limited permitted hours. Here are a few photos of the outside area.

As you know by now, archaeology motivates people (especially me) to seek the beginning. And frankly, it doesn’t get any more “beginning” than the Foundation Stone, the consecration of Abraham, the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant, and Muhammad’s Night Journey…all in the same place. The challenge of “scary men with guns” and “non-Muslims are forbidden” made me consider my options. Luckily, I did a little work beforehand and I was able to pull a few Palestinian strings. The picture below is of me walking up to the Muslim-only gate to meet my escort, a supervisor of Haram al-Sharif (the Temple Mount). He’s the one in the center. Jerusalem is a city of faith, so I borrowed some and told myself that everything was going to be okay.

With my guide's commanding presence next to me, I breezed right through security. Our little group walked toward the compound, and he discussed why Muslims consider this place to be sacred and how billions around the world would die to defend it. To emphasize the point, he showed us the four places he was shot while serving in the Palestinian National Security Forces. We walked right up to the Dome of the Rock.

Then...he us took us inside. 

With no more ado, here’s where everything began. The Foundation Stone.

I was absolutely stunned and privileged to be there. But, I secretly had one more wish. I knew about the small cave beneath the Foundation Stone. Legend says it was the original resting place of the Ark. Was there any possible way to enter the Well of Souls?

My guide led us there. Here is the entrance...and what is below.

This was the light that penetrated from the hole above.

A Muslim woman was praying inside.

We exited, then visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque nearby. 

I left the Temple Mount with a clearer understanding of the Muslim faith and the challenges they face.

Next, we need to discuss the Jewish temples that were on the same spot. Solomon followed David as Israel's king. His major contribution was the construction of the First Temple. He chose this hill which was higher than the the City of David and just to the north. But why a temple in the first place? Solomon believed there should be a single place to worship Yahweh along with a secure location to store the Ark. There are very few remains of this temple because it was destroyed by the Babylonian conquest then rebuilt several times. It gets confusing, but there were actually several temples in this location over time. The one you are probably most familiar with is the Second Temple because it dates to the time of Jesus. Like the first temple with the Babylonians, the Second Temple was completely destroyed by the Romans. The good news is that there is significant physical evidence regarding this temple. The original walls are still there along with a lot of remains buried beneath.

You may be thinking like an archaeologist: “Let’s dig and find more stuff!” Great idea! We could uncover artifacts from the temples, the Holy of Holies, and perhaps even the Ark of the Convent. There’s only one minor problem: digging would be very, very bad. 

After the Roman period was over, the area was abandoned, fought over many times, then finally controlled by Islam. Remember, this is their third most holy site. If we started an excavation, here’s how it would go down: Muslims would get angry and rush into Jerusalem to defend it. That includes Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The United States would feel compelled to defend Israel, so two Jewish/Christian countries would be fighting a religious war against most of the Muslim world. Not good for public relations. NATO may kick in, so the U.K. and Germany would probably join the side of Israel/U.S. Then, the big boys would get involved like Russia and China. So, picking up a trowel and moving some dirt would result in World War III. Seriously. 

That means we’re stuck with a very tense status quo.

However, “mistakes” sometimes happen. In 1981, an “accidental” five foot opening “appeared” beneath the Western Wall while Jewish workers were “innocently” clearing some trash in the area. The rabbi in charge “fell” into the opening and discovered a huge room over 100 feet long and 30 feet high. In order to “clean” it, they began to remove mud and debris. Muslim guards heard rummaging noises below and rushed to investigate. A worldwide scandal ensued and the opening was quickly sealed with concrete. Can you imagine what is still waiting to be discovered inside? 

The Muslims aren’t innocent either. In 1996, they began an unauthorized excavation in the area incorrectly called Solomon’s Stables with the purpose to create an underground prayer space. It required the unfathomable digging beneath the Temple Mount. The project was done in secret with no oversight. Eighty truckloads of ancient debris were haphazardly removed, hauled away, and discarded at a city dump. A young Jewish archaeology student heard about it, visited the site, and began to sift through the remains to rescue what he could. His efforts encouraged others to help. Today, the project is still ongoing. Thousands of artifacts have been found including coins, pottery, and mosaics from all periods of occupation.  

So guess what I did this afternoon? While others prefer to vacation in air-conditioned comfort, I did something only an archaeology enthusiast would enjoy. I volunteered to sift dirt that once rested beneath the Temple Mount. Where else could I have the honor of handling holy history?

When I arrived, I didn’t need to fight the crowds because I was the only one there. The lead archaeologist gave me a personal tour, handed me a bucket, and told me to start sifting. 

I made it through two buckets. I found a lot of pottery sherds, an intact nail from the Roman era, pieces of Mosaic floor probably from the Second Temple, and something that excited the team leader: a perfectly square metal weight that was used to measure gold in the Byzantine period. Pretty good day of sifting! 

It was time to return to the Temple Mount, specifically the Jewish side of the story. The most significant remnant of the Second Temple is the Western Wall (but you can visit other walls too). Why the west? It’s because the temple wasn’t perfectly centered on the hill. It was slightly toward that direction. As a result, the Western Wall is as close as Jews can get to where the Holy of Holies was originally located (there’s a closer spot but it's underground). Jews and other faiths pray here and mourn the loss of the Temple. People of all faiths write their intentions on paper, then place them within the stones. Since these papers often have God’s name on them, they can not be simply discarded. They are carefully collected, then buried on the Mount of Olives. 

I was lucky enough to see a joyful bar mitzvah.

Excavations on or near the Temple Mount are very rare and result in controversy and violence. After the Six-Day War in the 1960s, the Israel Ministry of Religious Affairs took advantage of the shift of power and began to excavate along the Western Wall, uncovering over 1600 feet still hidden underground. Along the way, they discovered many artifacts dating to the Second Temple including streets, monumental masonry, and a water channel. When the project was completed in 1996, it was opened to the public. Not to anyone’s surprise, there were protests where both Palestinians and Israelies were killed. 

I got to traverse the controversial buried Western Wall Tunnel today.

This may not look like much, but these were the closest areas to the Holy of Holies: the main entrance to the temple. Jews still pray here. When I was making my way backward to the exit, I encountered Jewish men singing. The tunnel wouldn't allow two-way traffic, so I was compelled to join them for about five minutes.

You may be asking yourself: why all the arguing? It’s about establishing a connection to the land and the Holy sites. For example, if Jews were able to discover David’s tomb, that would strengthen their point that their ancestors were present longer and they should own the Temple Mount. It goes both ways. Recent discoveries include an Islamic palace near the area, demonstrating that Muslims had both religious and political interest in the region early on. It’s a boiling cauldron all around.

I spent the morning surrounded by Muslim culture and the afternoon surrounded by Jewish culture. It may be time to talk about the Christians next. For the final photo of the day, here is a beautiful synagogue, entirely underground.

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