A Brief History Of The Temple Mount: The Focal Point Of Jerusalem

A History of the Holy Temple and its Centrality to Judaism

With Tisha b’Av, the day of mourning for the Holy Temple, almost upon us, it’s time to brush up on the importance of Jerusalem, and in this case, the Temple and the Temple Mount – the focal point of Jerusalem.

The First and Second Temples stood in Jerusalem on Har Habayit, the Temple Mount, known as Mount Moriah throughout the Bible. Today there is the familiar gold domed mosque which occupies the site.

Contrary to popular widespread misconception, the Holy Temple was much more than a synagogue. It was the center of all Jewish life, both spiritual and material. From the High Priest and the High Court to the shops and money changers along its outer promenade, the Holy Temple was the pulse of Jewish life in Jerusalem, and by extension, the entire world.

The Bible tells us that the First Temple was built in 957 BCE by King Solomon. Before this time people were permitted to offer sacrifices to God at any time and place, even in their own backyard. Once the Temple was completed, it became forbidden to offer sacrifices anywhere else.

The Temple replaced the Tabernacle, the portable synagogue that accompanied the Jewish people during their 40 years of wandering in the desert, as well as in the Land of Israel until the Temple was built. 

The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

According to the Book of Ezra, construction of the Second Temple was authorized by King Cyrus and began in 538 BCE, after the fall of the Babylonian Empire the previous year. It was completed 23 years later, on the third day of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the Great (12 March 515 BCE). The dedication ceremony was led by the Jewish governor Zerubbabel. The main courtyard had 13 gates from which one was able to access the Temple and the Temple Mount.

During the Roman occupation of Judea, the Temple remained under control of the Jewish people. It was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the Siege of Jerusalem. During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132-135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba’s revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem

Orthodox Judaism believes in the future building of a Third Temple and the resumption of the offerings, although there is disagreement about how the rebuilding should take place. Most rabbinic authorities believe that the rebuilding of the Temple should only be undertaken by the Messiah in the Messianic era, though some believe that the Jewish people should rebuild the Temple themselves.