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Herod's temple - East Wall

Bible overview
Features of the East Wall of the Temple.
Contributed by Bible Scenes
Story also available on our translated website: German
1
The temple faced east over the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives. The east wall followed the original line dating from Solomon’s days. <br/>Some reconstructions show a bridge leading from the Mount of Olives to the East Gate of the Temple. This is based on a description of the ceremony of the Red Heifer as recoded in the Misnah which states, ‘They made an archway from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives, an archway built over an archway with an arch above each pier for fear of any grave in the depth below.’ – Slide 1
2
Outside the southern section of the East wall was an outer wall. – Slide 2
3
There was an arched entrance in this outer wall known as the Miphkad gate. It was through this gate that the Priest led out the Red Heifer to the Mount of Olives to be burnt as a sacrifice. – Slide 3
4
Pilgrims could enter through this outer wall entrance to get to the Shushan in the east wall. – Slide 4
5
The Shushan in the East wall had two entrances. Each of the two doors of this double-gate has its own name: Bab al-Rahma, ‘Gate of Mercy’, for the southern one (left side), and Bab al-Taubah, the ‘Gate of Repentance’, for the northern one (right side). <br/>It was the only gate on the East side giving access to the Temple Mount. <br/>According to the prophet Ezekiel, the Shekhinah Divine Presence of God used to appear through the eastern Gate, and will ap-pear again when the Anointed One (Messiah) comes and a new gate replaces the present one (Ezekiel 44:1–3). <br/>It is also said that Jesus, riding on a donkey, passed through this gate on Palm Sunday, in fulfilment of the Jewish prophecy concern-ing the Messiah (Ezekiel 44:1-3). – Slide 5
6
There was a stairway up to the Shushan or Golden Gate. The current Golden Gate was built in the Umayyad period (7th centu-ry AD) but on the founda-tions of the Shushan as it was in the time of Jesus. An arch, of the former gate, lies directly beneath the blocked entranceway of the Golden Gate today. The Dutch archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer reached the conclusion that the two monolithic massive gate-posts seen on the inside of the gate belong to an old structure of the gate, thought to be the Shushan Gate that dates from the First Temple period. – Slide 6
7
Jewish philosopher Maimonides wrote about , ‘entering from the East Gate of the Temple’ Mount to walk on level ground’ till the steps on which the Sanctuary was built. – Slide 7
8
Ahead of the East gate was the east entrance to the Court of Women. The temple sanctuary faced east. In Christian eschatology, sunrise in the east symbolises both Christ’s resurrection at dawn on Easter Sunday and the direction of His Second Coming. Sanctuaries for Christian congregational worship at an altar are often arranged with respect to the east. – Slide 8
9
There was another entrance on the east wall near the south-east corner giving access to priests to an underground storeroom later called ‘Solomon’s Stables’ by the Crusaders. – Slide 9
10
The structure has been called Solomon’s Stables since the time of the Cru-sades as a historical com-posite: ‘Solomon’s’ refers to the First Temple built on the site, while the ‘stables’ refers to the functional usage of the space by the Crusaders in the time of Baldwin II (King of Jerusa-lem 1118–1131AD). – Slide 10
11
Solomon’s Stables is 500 square metres (600 square yards) in area, and is located 12.5m (41ft) below the courtyard, and features twelve rows of pillars and arches. – Slide 11
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Slide 12