dome of rock

God commanded Abraham to sacrifice is son Isaac on the same ridge that Jesus was crucified. Moriah is the name of this ridge and it means chosen by God. The name Moriah can be found in the bible and Moriah is the location where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac and where Solomon built the Temple to the Lord. 2 Chr (3:1)

Mount Moriah Ridge runs from the City of David in the south through Ophel then running to the north through the Temple Mount area. See map on right. Jesus was crucified outside the Jerusalem walls along the very north of Mount Moriah Ridge. These locations can only be speculated and no evidence exists. God has hidden the exact locations of Jesus crucifixion and Herod's Temple.

The most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. An impressive Dome that can be seen from all over Jerusalem.

The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, but a Muslim shrine. It is built over a sacred stone. This stone is believed by Muslim's and only Muslim's to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during his "Night Journey" to heaven and returned with messages from heaven. Since Muhammad didn't name the exact location in the Quran, and the Muslims didn't know where in Jerusalem Muhammad ascended into heaven, thus they guessed and chose the present location. This spot happens to be the location in which Jews and Christians speculate as the location of the Temple built by Herod.

The Dome of the Rock is the oldest Islamic monument that stands today and certainly one of the most beautiful. The Muslim's built the shrine after they conquered Jerusalem in the year 637 A.D. The Shrine was completed in 691-692 A.D., making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The shrine was intended to compete with many fine buildings of worship and rival Christian domes of its time.

Muslims also consider Abraham a prophet. However, instead of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, their Quran suggests Ishmael, not Isaac, was the sacrificial son. Virtually every Muslim will state that it was Ishmael and that the attempted sacrifice took place at Mina a few miles north-east of Mecca.

Some Jews regard entry to the Dome of the Rock to be a violation of Jewish law. This is based on the belief that since the time the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, by the Romans, during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and the destruction Of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary entered only by the High Priest, is not known. Hence a restriction applies to the entire area. However, other rabbis believe that modern archeological and other evidence has enabled them to identify areas that can be safely entered without violating Jewish law.

Jews have traditionally regarded the location of the stone in side the Dome of the Rock as the holiest spot on Earth, because they believe this is the site of the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple.

Because Muslim authorities have refused to permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, the Jews developed a custom of praying near the Western Wall, since it was the site nearest to the Foundation Stone.

Some Jews believe that Western Wall is a wall that surrounded the Temple building that existed when Jesus lived.

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock

"Mount Moriah"

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Click on picture too enlarge.

Mount Moriah Ridge

Doom of the rock

Inside the Dome of the rock

"On Mount Moriah ridge"

Click on picture too enlarge.

Foundation Stone

"Mount Moriah"

Western Wall

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Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. (Golgotha)

Some where along Mount Moriah ridge Abraham was going to sacrafice Isaac.

Western Wall

Western Wall

possible

When Jesus visited the Temple it may have looked like the above model. The model is only an educated guess from the writings of Joephus. The back left wall may be the wall that remains today called the Western Wall. The Temple's doors faced east and thus the morning sun would enter in the Temple when the doors were open. Scripture says it took 46 years to build the Temple. Jn (2:20) We must realize that history has been lost and man is unable to determinne for sure the location of the Temple and other parts of Jerusalem.

Dome of Rock

present day

The model above is viewing Herod's Temple from the east. This view would be like standing on Mount of Olives.

This is todays view from Mount of Olives looking down on Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock could be very close to where Herod's Temple use to stand.

Kidron Valley

The above map shows the elevation changes that were possible at the time Herod built the Temple. Today the elevations are different because of centuries of how man changed the landscape. The picture below shows a model of the City of David and Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. Realize that the City of David was built first and the city of Jerusalem grew over the centuries. Everything we know about Jerusalem is an educated guess.

Jerusalem

Herod's Temple

City of David

Western Wall

possible

How do we know if the place where Isaac was going to be sacrificed is the same spot where Jesus was crucified? Those who are Catholic and believe in the keys of Peter, Mary of Ageda says in her book the "City of God" that the locations are on Mount Moriah. But Mount Moriah is a ridge and thus Golgotha and the spot of Isaac's sacrifice may not be on the same spot on the ridge. Tradition has Golgotha not on the Moriah Ridge, but to west of the city walls. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the location in which Saint Helena had determined to be Golgotha in 326 A.D. Saint Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine. However no Pope has written that this spot is Golgotha.

mercermark@att.net

ridge

Mount Moriah ridge runs from the City of David past Golgotha.

Golgotha

Outside the walls of Jersualem to the north.