The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691 CE and is one of the oldest extant Islamic structures in the world. The Dome of the Rock is located on the biblical Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism. The Temple Mount is believed to be the site of the biblical temples of Solomon and Herod. The Dome of the Rock has religious significance for both Muslims and Jews.
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is where God’s divine presence resided and where the Jewish Temples once stood. The First Temple was built by King Solomon around 957 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Second Temple was built around 516 BCE and expanded by King Herod beginning in 19 BCE. In 70 CE, the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans.
The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is located at the base of the western side of the Temple Mount. This is the last remaining retaining wall that once enclosed the courtyard of the Second Jewish Temple. The Western Wall is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray today. Many Jews pray at the Western Wall and leave written prayers in the cracks between its stones.
After the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 CE, the Temple Mount remained desolate for many years. Around 637 CE, Muslims conquered Jerusalem. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet Muhammad was miraculously transported from Mecca to the “Farthest Mosque” where he ascended to heaven to receive revelations from God. Muslims believe this heavenly journey took place at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock was later built at this location.
The Dome of the Rock is a Muslim shrine, not a mosque, that houses the Foundation Stone. This ancient rock is believed to be the site where the world was created and where important biblical events took place. According to the Bible, the Foundation Stone was the location of these significant events:
- The creation of Adam – Genesis 2:7
- The binding of Isaac – Genesis 22:9-14
- Jacob’s dream – Genesis 28:10-22
- The threshing floor of Araunah – 2 Samuel 24:18-25
The Foundation Stone is also believed to be the site where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Isaac. In the biblical account, God commands Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. But just as Abraham raises the knife, an angel stops him. A ram caught in a thicket is provided by God for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son (Genesis 22:1-19). The site where this event took place is traditionally believed to be where the Dome of the Rock stands today.
The octagonal design of the Dome of the Rock has ties to biblical symbolism. The number eight represents new beginnings. According to 2 Kings 24-25, the first temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. But 70 years later, construction began on the second temple around 516 BCE. The eight sides of the Dome of the Rock symbolize this new beginning and the redemption of the Jewish people after the destruction of the first temple.
The Dome of the Rock is said to be located on the peak where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac. Inside the shrine houses the Foundation Stone, which bears significance to the major monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The interior of the Dome of the Rock is elaborately decorated with mosaics and marble. The structure was commissioned by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik and completed in 691 CE. It was built to compete with the grand Christian churches being constructed in Jerusalem during the same time period.
The Dome of the Rock has Quranic inscriptions on both the interior and exterior walls. These inscriptions promote monotheistic ideals from the Quran as well as condemn the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity. Most biblical scholars believe the image and inscription-filled shrine was built as a declaration of Muslim supremacy over Christianity and Judaism.
There are various theories as to why the Dome of the Rock was constructed. One theory is that it was built to commemorate Muhammad’s ascension to heaven. But there is also evidence to suggest it was built as part of a larger Muslim building campaign to stamp out Christian influence in Jerusalem. By building the Dome of the Rock directly on this historically significant Jewish site, the Muslims were attempting to assert Islam’s dominance over Judaism and Christianity.
The Dome of the Rock continues to have religious and political significance today. It is one of the most iconic symbols of Jerusalem. Control over the Temple Mount has been a cause of Arab-Israeli conflicts over the decades. Many Jews believe the messiah will come and restore the Third Temple where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. The site thus remains a raw symbol of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In summary, the Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine built in the late 7th century CE on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It houses the Foundation Stone, which is sacred in Judaism. The Dome of the Rock has religious connections to the biblical Temples, to Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac, and to Muhammad’s ascension to heaven. The structure has an octagonal shape with elaborate decorations. It was likely built as a declaration of Muslim supremacy over Christianity and Judaism during that time period. Tensions over the holy site continue between Jews and Muslims to this day.
The Dome of the Rock has great religious significance in both Judaism and Islam. This ancient shrine located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem connects to biblical events and prophets central to both faiths. The elaborate golden-topped structure is deeply meaningful and a source of controversy over rights to worship. For Jews, Muslims, and Christians—the Dome of the Rock symbolizes the profound importance of the Temple Mount in biblical history and in future prophecies.
The Dome of the Rock is affiliated with Bible accounts about the temple, yet the temple’s dimensions and characteristics are described primarily in the Old Testament books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The temple built by Solomon was precisely constructed according to specifications David received through guidance from the Lord. The lengthy description covers details regarding the foundation, furnishings, pillars, decorations, and layout of the temple. Based on these descriptions, historians estimate the temple was about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. The highest point on the Temple Mount is now where the Dome of the Rock is located.
The biblical temple was divided into three main parts: the entry porch, main hall, and inner sanctuary. The main hall housed the altar, lampstands, and table for the consecrated bread. The innermost sanctuary called the Holy of Holies was a perfect cube and held the Ark of the Covenant containing the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
The temple priests sacrificed animals like sheep, goats and doves on the bronze altar in the temple courtyard. Sacrifices were made daily but increased on holy days like Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and Passover. Only priests from the tribe of Levi were permitted to enter the sacred temple grounds and to make sacrifices upon the altar.
In addition to animal sacrifice, the temple priests burned incense on the golden altar within the Holy Place of the temple. The aromatic incense was a symbol of the prayers of the people rising up to God. Prayers were made facing the temple from a distance while priests mediated within sacred temple confines.
After entering the sacred temple grounds through the porch, priests would wash at the laver. Then they could enter the main hall which contained the lampstands, altar of incense, and table with consecrated bread. Beyond the veil was the innermost sanctuary called the Holy of Holies which housed the Ark of the Covenant.
Only the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies and stand before the presence of God above the mercy seat on the ark. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest sprinkled blood from animal sacrifices on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people.
The temple built by Solomon was plundered by the Egyptians around 930 BCE. But about 340 years after it was initially constructed, King Hezekiah renovated the temple and commanded the Levites to sanctify themselves for service there. The Bible records this restoration of temple worship under Hezekiah’s reign.
In approximately 586 BCE, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem and raided the temple. He stripped the temple of its treasures and demolished the structure. The Ark of the Covenant has been lost ever since this destruction. But the Bible prophesies that the temple will be rebuilt.
After 70 years of exile, the Jews returned to Jerusalem and reconstructed the temple around 516 BCE under the direction of Zerubbabel. King Herod later substantially expanded and renovated this Second Temple including the massive retaining walls that still surrounded the Temple Mount area today.
In 70 CE, the Second Temple was ransacked and demolished by Roman troops led by Emperor Titus. Jesus predicted this destruction when he prophesied that “not one stone here will be left on another” regarding the fate of the temple (Matthew 24:2). Only the Western Wall remained from Herod’s temple complex.
So the temple where Jesus often taught was not the original structure built by Solomon. The temple during Christ’s time was the one rebuilt and expanded by King Herod beginning in 19 BCE. But it was still considered the focal place of worship for Jews centered around sacrifice. Jesus overturned the money changers’ tables within its courts and prophesied the temple’s destruction.
While Christians believe worship is no longer limited to a centralized temple location, the Bible prophesies that the temple will be rebuilt. In the tribulation period, the Antichrist will enter the temple and declare himself to be God. This is called the abomination of desolation prophesied by Daniel and cited by Jesus (Matthew 24:15).
Jewish eschatology also points to a future Third Temple being rebuilt on the Temple Mount before the coming of the Messiah. But currently the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque occupy that holy site. This continues to be a major source of religious and political turmoil.
The biblical temples located at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem represented God’s presence with his chosen people. While they featured animal sacrifice and special chambers like the Holy of Holies, believers now represent God’s temple through the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Christ’s followers try to keep their lives pure and yield their bodies as living sacrifices which the Bible calls their spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).