The Temple Mount

Jewish tradition associates the Temple Mount not merely with the Temple, but also with pivotal events in the Bible and Creation itself. It is said that God drew the dust from which he would create Adam, the first man, from the peaks of Mount Moriah. Jacob’s dream of angels and ladders was dreamt as he lay on Mount Moriah, his head pillowed on its stones. And Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac and his subsequent sacrifice of the ram took place on that same mountain.

So construction of the Temple did not cause the Temple Mount to become holy. Rather, the mountain itself was already sanctified, and with the construction of the Temple, the Divine Presence descended upon that spot for all eternity. Such is believed by Orthodox Jews, and for that reason, they will not set foot on the Temple Mount. Believing that all Jews are ritually impure without the Temple rituals, Maimonides issued an edict that it is forbidden to tread on the site of the ancient Temple, and this edict is strictly observed today by religious Jews.

Significance of the Temple Mount in Christianity

The Temple Mount holds significance for Christians as the place where Jesus issued his challenge against the Temple authorities, an act which can be seen as leading directly to his arrest and crucifixion.

Jesus deplored the corruption of the authorities of that time, as well as the use of one of the Temple gates for trade. According to the gospel of Mark, Jesus performed a “cleansing” of the Temple, whereby he chased away the merchants and moneychangers in the Temple’s vicinity.

 The Temple Mount also holds significance for Christians as the place where Jesus attended festivals as a child. The Temple steps, which endure even to this day, were almost undoubtedly trodden by Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Holy Temple, so when the actual destruction was carried out by Titus of Rome, it was seen by Christians in subsequent years as a fulfillment of that prophecy.

Islamic Conquest

When Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem for Islam, he chose the Temple Mount as a place for Muslim worship. Today, the Haram Al-Sharif includes major sites of worship for Muslims, such as the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. Muslims hold the Temple Mount sacred as the site where Mohammed ascended to heaven.

The Temple Mount and the Jewish People

After conquering Jerusalem from the Jebusites, King David bought a spot on the Temple Mount from a thresher, and his son King Solomon built the First Temple. In 586 B.C., the Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Seventy years later, Jews returned to Jerusalem and built the Second Temple, which lasted until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D.

The fateful war against Rome in that year represents a major shift in Judaism, from a religion with a home and physical ties to a nomadic faith doomed to wander the world in search of peace. The Roman conquest therefore signifies a turning point in the history of Jerusalem, when its identity as the center of Judaism became complicated with other roles: the birthplace of Christianity, a holy site for Islam.