Recently, Aish HaTorah inaugurated a beautiful and unique model of the Beis Hamikdash in its world headquarters overlooking the Temple Mount and the Western Wall plaza. The model will be on permanent display on the roof of the highly anticipated interactive museum, called the Exploratorium.
The Exploratorium will be devoted to how Judaism and the Jewish idea have changed the world and continue to impact humanity. The Temple model will demonstrate how that message begins and ends in the holiest city for Jews, Jerusalem, opposite its holiest site.
From the outlook seven stories above the Western Wall plaza visitors will be able to view the model together with the site of the two temples which stood meters away on the Temple Mount for almost 1,000 years.
The project is designed to further understanding of the integral Jewish connection to Jerusalem and its holy sites.
“There is a growing ignorance about the centrality of the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. This in turn leaves the path clear for those who seek to delegitimize this connection,” said Ephraim Shore, director, Aish HaTorah, “The Temple model is the beginning of a project that, it is hoped, will help Jews connect with their heritage and provide non-Jews with the awareness of our rich and broad history in these holy places.”
The model is the largest high accuracy model of the Temple ever built. With a scale of 1:60, it has been built according to the highest standards of detail and precision. Rabbinic consultation was provided by Temple experts.
The model is the first of its kind in the world to offer a hydraulic remote-controlled elevator that raises the entire heichal (outer sanctuary) in order to reveal the contents of the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary), including the menorah (Jewish candelabra), table, altars and the Ark of the Covenant. It also has an extensive electrical light system to make it easy for guides to teach about the Temple and its service.
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