Yehuda Glick, working at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem’s Old City, watches a model of the Holy Temple on display. The major focus of the Institute is its efforts towards the beginning of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish belief. According to the Hebrew Bible, the First Temple was built by King Solomon. It was the center of ancient Judaism according to Hebrew scripture and the sole place of Jewish sacrifice. The first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second was built 5 centuries later, but destroyed already in 70 CE. All of the outer walls still stand today, although the Temple itself has long since been destroyed, and for many years it was believed that the western wall of the complex was the only wall standing.
An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century CE, and the al-Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard. Jewish belief envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of the Jewish Messiah, and thus, followers of Orthodox Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. August 11, 2009. Photo by Nati Shohat/FLASH90