Drum – 15 August 2019

SOURCES:

BRITANNICA.COM,

CHABAD.ORG,

JEWFAQ.COM,

ISLAMICLANDMARKS.COM,

JEWISHVIRTUALLIBRARY.ORG,

KIDS.KIDDLE.CO,

LEARNINGRELIGIONS.COM,

MYJEWISHLEARNING.COM,

SCHECHTER.EDU,

SEETHEHOLYLAND.NET,

TEMPLEMOUNT.ORG,

THECULTURETRIP.COM,

WIKIPEDIA.ORG,

WIKITRAVEL.ORG

GATEOFMERCY

KnowntoChristiansastheGoldenGate,thisis

theonlyeasterngatetothemountbutit’sbeen

sealedshutsincetheMiddleAges.

SomeChristiansbelievethisiswhereAnne

andJoachim,theparentsofJesus’mother,

Mary,metafteranangeltoldthemtheywere

expectingher.

JewsbelievetheMessiah– thepromised

delivereroftheJewishnation– willenter

Jerusalemthroughthisgatewhenhecomes.

ThedivinepresenceofGodusedtoappear

throughthisgateandwillreappearwhenthe

Messiahcomesandreopensit,accordingto

Jewishtradition.

DOMEOFTHEROCK

ThedomeisanIslamicshrine.Atitscentreisa rockthat

MuslimsbelievewastheprophetMuhammad’sdestination

afterhewastransportedtherefromMeccaduringhisNight

Journey.Healsoascendedtoheavenfromthere.

MostJewsbelievethisisthesiteoftheFirstandSecond

TemplesandregardtherockastheFoundationStone,the

placewhereGodcreatedtheworldandthefirsthuman

being,Adam.MostJewsregardthestoneasthelocation

oftheHolyofHoliesandsotheholiestplaceonearth.

Thisiswhytheyturntowardsitduringprayer.

SOLOMON’SSTABLES

Thisisa room12mundergroundthat’susedasa Muslimprayerhall.It’s

believedtohavebeenbuiltbyKingHerod– whoreignedfrom37–4BC

• asa storageareafortheSecondTemple.
  It’sbeencalledSolomon’sStablessincethe11thcenturywhenthe
  Crusaders(ChristianknightsfromEurope)conqueredJerusalem.
  Solomon(Shlomo)wastheIsraelitekingwhobuilttheFirstTemple,
  andtheCrusadersusedthespaceasa stablefortheirhorses.

DOMEOFTHECHAIN

Thoughnota mosque,thisdomeis

usedasa prayerhousebyMuslims.

Itstandsonthesitewhere,accord-

ingtolegend,theIsraeliteKingSolo-

mon(Shlomo)hadsuspendeda chain

betweenheavenandearth.Iftwomen

approachedthechaintosolvea prob-

lembetweenthem,onlythehonest

mancouldtakeholdofitasthechain

wouldmoveoutofthedishonest

man’sreach.

SOLOMON’SPOOLS

Thesethreepools(BreichotShlomoinHebrew)justoutsidethecom-

plexarenamedaftertheIsraelitekingSolomon.They’rereservoirs

(artificiallakescreatedtostorewater)situatedseveraldozenmetres

apartwitha 6mdropfromonepooltothenext.Thereservoirsare

between 118 and179mlongandbetween 8 and16mdeep. Eachpoolcan

holdabout 250 millionlitres.Legendsaysthekingbuiltthepoolsfor

hismanywivestobathein,butarchaeologistsbelievetheoldestpart

datesonlyfromthesecondcenturyBC, 700 yearsafterSolomon.

HOLY SITES

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