The Temple Mount, known as Haram esh-Sharif in Arabic and Har HaBayit in Hebrew, is one of the most religiously and politically significant sites in Jerusalem. Located in the Old City, it is a hilltop plateau containing the ruins of the ancient Jewish Temples as well as the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, two of the holiest sites in Islam.
For Jews, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. It is where the first and second Jewish Temples once stood and where many Jewish traditions believe the Third Temple will one day be rebuilt. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Temple Mount is where God gathered the dust to create Adam, where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac, and where the Holy of Holies housed the Ark of the Covenant. Throughout history, the Temple Mount has been central to Jewish worship and identity.
The first temple on the Temple Mount was built around 957 BCE by King Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second temple was completed around 515 BCE after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon. In the 1st century BCE, King Herod expanded and renovated the second temple into an enormous and magnificent complex, but it too was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE after a Jewish revolt. Since then, Jews have mourned the temple’s loss annually on the fast day of Tisha B’Av.
For centuries, Jewish law has forbidden Jews from entering areas of the Temple Mount for fear of inadvertently stepping on the Most Holy Place, where the Holy of Holies once stood. Today, some rabbis encourage Jews to visit permitted areas of the Temple Mount while other rabbis forbid it. Many religious Jews pray daily for the rebuilding of the temple.
The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is located at the western base of the Temple Mount. This is the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray today. Jewish pilgrims travel from around the world to pray at the Western Wall and mourn the loss of the ancient temple.
For Muslims, the Temple Mount is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the iconic Dome of the Rock shrine. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The gold-topped Dome of the Rock, built in 691 CE, enshrines the Foundation Stone, a rock sacred to Muslims they believe is where the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
The Temple Mount was originally consecrated by Muslims as an Islamic sanctuary or Haram in the 7th century CE. Today it continues to be administered by an Islamic council called the Waqf. Muslims gather at the Temple Mount for Friday prayers and accords it great religious significance for its connection to Muhammad and as the place where they believe Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Ishmael (not Isaac as Jews believe).
Because of the profound religious importance of the Temple Mount to both Jews and Muslims, it has been a flashpoint for conflict over the centuries. Both religious communities lay claim to the area based on ties going back thousands of years. This struggle between Jewish nationalism and Arab nationalism explains much of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today.
After Israel captured East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, it allowed the Waqf to continue administering the Temple Mount area. Under this “status quo” agreement, Jews can visit but not pray on the Temple Mount. With Israeli soldiers guarding the entrances, only Muslims are allowed to pray at their holy sites. But any alterations to the status quo are viewed as provocations by the other side.
In recent decades, some nationalist religious Jewish groups have campaigned for greater access and even to rebuild the Jewish temple. This, along with rumors that Israel intends to allow Jewish prayer on the mount or undermine Muslim authority there, has led Palestinians to fear Israel may seek control. As a result, Palestinian protests often erupt around the Temple Mount.
Some key points regarding the Temple Mount:
- It has supreme spiritual significance for both Jews and Muslims.
- The First and Second Jewish Temples once stood there until destroyed in antiquity.
- It is the site of the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) where Jews pray today.
- It contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock shrines sacred to Muslims.
- Its status quo allows Muslim administration and Jewish visitation but not Jewish prayer.
- Attempts to change the status quo are viewed as provocation by the other side.
- It remains a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over national and religious claims.
The Temple Mount’s layered religious history and symbolism for multiple faiths imbue it with great spiritual meaning. But disagreements over its authority and access remain contentious issues at the heart of the geopolitical conflict surrounding Jerusalem. For these reasons, the Temple Mount holds profound meaning and significance in Judaism, Islam, and the long struggle for control over the Holy Land.
In the Bible, the Temple Mount first appears in Genesis 22 when God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac there. The site takes on central importance after King David conquers Jerusalem and makes it his capital around 1000 BCE. David’s son Solomon then constructs the First Temple there beginning in 970 BCE (1 Kings 6). This temple, also known as Solomon’s Temple, was the center of Jewish worship and sacrifices for nearly 400 years until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
The Book of Ezra records how Zerubbabel led exiles returning from Babylon to rebuild the temple beginning in 538 BCE. Reconstruction was completed in 515 BCE and sacrifices and services resumed. This more modest Second Temple was renovated beginning in 19 BCE when Herod the Great greatly enlarged and expanded the temple complex. However, just six years after construction was completed in 63 CE, the temple was burned and looted by the Romans under Titus during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
The Western Wall visible today is a remnant of the retaining wall built by Herod to support his enlarged temple complex. Since Jewish law prohibited standing on the Temple Mount itself after the destruction of the temple, the Western Wall became the holiest site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage. There are countless references to the Temple Mount’s spiritual significance throughout the Hebrew scriptures as well as prophecies anticipating a future Third Temple.
In the 7th century CE, the Muslim caliph Umar built a small prayer house that was later expanded into the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the southern end of the Temple Mount. Around 691 CE, the Dome of the Rock shrine was completed by Caliph Abd al-Malik on the site of the former Jewish temple itself, as a center of Muslim worship. The Dome enshrined the Foundation Stone considered sacred to Muslims. With these monuments, the Temple Mount or Noble Sanctuary took on great religious significance in Islam.
After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel gained control of the Temple Mount area and left the Waqf in charge of Islamic holy sites. Some Israelis have since called for building the Third Temple, spurring protests by Palestinians who fear Jewish encroachment. The 2000 Camp David Summit dealing with the peace process failed partially over disagreements about sovereignty over the Temple Mount.
Today, only Muslims are allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, while people of other faiths may visit during designated hours but not pray openly. The Israeli police limit Jewish visits during Muslim holidays. But no matter who controls it politically, the profound religious importance of the Temple Mount endures as a place sacred to multiple faiths.
Some key Bible passages about the Temple Mount include:
- Genesis 22:1-19 – God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount).
- 2 Samuel 24:18-25 – David establishes the Temple Mount as a place of sacrifice and worship.
- 1 Kings 6 – Solomon builds the First Temple.
- 2 Kings 25:8-17 – The Babylonians destroy the First Temple.
- Ezra 3:8-13 – Returning exiles rebuild the altar to make sacrifices on the Temple Mount.
- Ezra 6:13-18 – The Second Temple is completed and dedicated.
- Matthew 24:1-2 – Jesus prophesies the temple’s destruction.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – The anti-Christ will sit in the temple of God.
- Revelation 21:22 – John envisions no temple in the New Jerusalem since God is its temple.
As these verses demonstrate, the Temple Mount has been sacred ground for millennia and a focal point of biblical history and prophecy. Its spiritual allure endures as Jews, Christians, and Muslims turn their eyes toward this symbolic place awaiting rebuilding, second coming, or ascent to heaven. For people of faith, the Temple Mount represents their connection to God.
The Temple Mount’s history stretches back over 3,000 years as a site of immense religious significance. For Jews, it is where their ancient temple once stood, housing the Ark of the Covenant that connected them to God. Since its destruction, Jews have prayed for generations that a Third Temple would be rebuilt there, renewing this divine link.
For Muslims, the Temple Mount is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque pointing the faithful toward Mecca. The Dome of the Rock enshrines the sacred Foundation Stone and commemorates Muhammad’s miraculous Night Journey ascending to heaven. Muslims see it as a profoundly holy Islamic Waqf or sanctuary.
Although each faith has its own myths, memories, and theology tied to the site, all agree the Temple Mount harbors an irresistible, numinous power. It is a place tied to identity where the earth seems to touch the divine. Arguments over possession of the Temple Mount go beyond security, resources or national pride, but directly impact believers’ sense of spiritual connection and proximity to God.
Control of the Temple Mount is contentious because it is sacred, not just strategically important. He who owns this space is seen as able to communicate most directly with the divine and shape spiritual life for their adherents. For this reason it remains fiercely contested, valuable beyond measure to religious minds and hearts. Yet paradoxically, all who revere this holy place share at least this fundamental belief – that it is the point where heaven and earth meet.
The Temple Mount’s broad religious significance stems from its role as a point of connection between God and humanity. Different faiths attach different theology to it, but all see it as a conduit for reaching the divine.
For ancient Israelites, the Temple Mount was quite literally the dwelling place of Yahweh whose presence resided in the Holy of Holies. Sacrifices offered there were meant to please God who dwelled among the people. The temple facilitated communication and atonement with the divine.
In Christianity, Jesus himself visited the temple and prophesied its coming destruction as God’s judgment. But Christ’s resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit made God accessible everywhere and rendered the Jerusalem temple obsolete. However, some evangelical Christians see the Temple Mount as key to fulfilling end time prophecies that will herald Christ’s second coming.
In Islam, Muhammad’s Night Journey brings him to the Temple Mount where he ascends directly to heaven, establishing it as a gateway to the divine realm. The Dome of the Rock marks this entry point, making the Temple Mount the closest place on earth where mortals can reach out to touch the divine.
While interpretations differ, common to all is the sense of the Temple Mount as a thin place where the veil between the human and divine lifts. It is a holy place where seekers and believers feel they can reach across the divide and connect spiritually to God in a more direct and profound way than anywhere else on earth.
This explains its enduring allure and why claims of ownership and access provoke such passions. For it is not merely its physical space that is contested, but access to the divine that lies at the heart of religious identity and practice.
Thus, the struggle for the Temple Mount represents an age-old search for spiritual connection and the seat of religious authority. It remains sacred ground – and sacred ground worth fighting for – because control of it seems tantamount to controlling the gateway between heaven and earth.
The Temple Mount’s layered history and symbolism imbue it with a rich religious and cultural legacy tied to three of the world’s major faiths. Several key factors contribute to its broad significance.
First, it contains sites of central importance to both Judaism and Islam. The Temple Mount was home to the First and Second Temples of ancient Israel where the divine presence dwelled. Today the Western Wall remains the holiest site where Jews can pray. For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock mark the place from which Muhammad ascended to heaven, making it the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.
Second, it has been a place of sacrifice and worship for thousands of years. The Temple Mount was originally the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite that King David purchased to erect an altar to God. It functioned as the center of Israelite sacrificial worship from the time of Solomon through the Babylonian destruction of the temple. And it remains tied to the Jewish longing for restoration of temple worship and redemption.
Third, the Temple Mount is deeply intertwined with biblical history and prophecy. Many momentous events are recorded there, including Abraham’s offering of Isaac, Jacob’s dream of a ladder to heaven, King Solomon’s dedication of the temple, and Jesus’ prophesying the temple’s ruin. Some Christians believe the Temple Mount will play a role in apocalyptic events around Christ’s second coming as prophesied in Revelation and elsewhere.
Fourth, it holds universal spiritual symbolism. Jewish tradition identifies the Temple Mount with Mount Moriah where creation began. The Holy of Holies marked the spiritual centerpoint of creation. And the Western Wall is even reminiscent of the remains of the world’s foundation. For these reasons, the Temple Mount is imbued with archetypal spiritual significance for all humanity.
Finally, it remains hotly disputed. Control of the Temple Mount continues to be a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Issues of sovereignty over Jerusalem and the peace process often get entangled with rights of access and authority over this sacred site. Thus, its broad religious and national significance fans tensions surrounding it.
For Jews, Muslims, Christians, and humanity as a whole, the Temple Mount touches the core of religious identity and aspirations. Sacred to multiple faiths and tied to ancient prophecy, it retains universal symbolic power and profound spiritual meaning.