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Continuing our discussion from part seven, as we have come to see, there exists some rather compelling historical and topographical evidence which strongly suggests that neither Jewish temple ever stood on the summit of Mount Moriah, as has long been promoted by Jewish orthodoxy. Quite to the contrary, it is possible that both temples, as well as the City of David, and King Solomon's palace, stood on a ridge which was located just outside of, and to the south of, the Temple Mount. This crescent-shaped ridge consisted of two lower hills: Mount Ophel and Mount Zion.

If this information is true and accurate, it totally negates the debate regarding the Jews' alleged historical right to construct a temple on the summit of Mount Moriah, referred to by the Jews as the Temple Mount, and known to Muslims as "Haram Ash-Sharif", or the "Noble Sanctuary". What further complicates this situation is the fact that the Muslim Waqf absolutely refuses to allow any excavations to be conducted under the mount. If that were not already enough, according to what I have read, no evidence has ever been found which conclusively demonstrates that Solomon's Temple stood on the summit of Mount Moriah. Also, there is only circumstantial evidence to support the belief that Herod's Temple -- which was an expanded and renovated version of the Second Temple -- may have stood there centuries ago.

Honestly speaking, I am not sure what is the truth here. I will tell you that I did conduct some Bible research in order to determine how much of this information could be verified by the Scriptures. The name "Ophel" is mentioned five times in the Old Testament. Of those five times, there are only three verses which are associated with construction going on around Mount Ophel, and none of it was done by King Solomon directly. Consider the following:

"And he [King Jotham] did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly. He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much."


"Now after this he [King Mannaseh] built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah."


"Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel."


According to the Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew Aramaic English Lexicon, Ophel was "a ridge of hills in Jerusalem, fortified for defense of the city‭." The name "Ophel" in fact means "hill". So at the very least, we do know that a very high wall was built around Mount Ophel. ‭ Regarding King Solomon's palace, the word "palace" itself is mentioned sixteen times in the Old Testament. This word is derived from the Hebrew word "biyrah". What I personally find rather interesting is the fact that while it is consistently translated as "palace" in all sixteen instances, according to the Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew Aramaic English Lexicon, "biyrah" can refer to a palace, or castle, or temple. The reason why I am emphasizing this point, is because in the following verses, it becomes quite apparent that when David says "palace", he is really referring to the temple which his son Solomon would build, and for which David has already made preparations, and NOT to an actual palace. Why else would David plainly state that "the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God"? Consider these verses:

"Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: FOR THE PALACE IS NOT FOR MAN, BUT FOR THE LORD GOD. Now I have prepared with all my might FOR THE HOUSE OF MY GOD the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection TO THE HOUSE OF MY GOD, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house . . . And gave for the service of THE HOUSE OF GOD of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite . . . And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to BUILD THE PALACE, for the which I have made provision."


As far as I can tell, in all of the other verses where the Hebrew word "biyrah" is used, it does in fact refer to the palace of a particular king. Regarding the actual location of King Solomon's palace, I am not absolutely certain at this point. However, I did find two verses which seem to suggest that the temple and Solomon's palace may have been close together. Consider the following verses where the word "terraces" is used. According to the Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew Aramaic English Lexicon, it is translated from the Hebrew word "mecillah" which means a highway, raised way or public road. It is in fact translated in the KJV Bible as highway, causeway, path, way, courses or terraces.

"And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the kings palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah."


Likewise, based on the Scriptures alone, I cannot say for certain exactly where Solomon's temple was located. Was it located on Mount Moriah, or was it located on Mount Ophel just below and to the south of Mount Moriah? Who's to say? Due to the lack of concrete evidence in the Scriptures -- at least according to my current understanding -- which tell us with clarity where the temple was built, it remains an open question, in my view.

Thus we have two strongly opposing points of view, as well as historical and topographical evidence which gives us a good reason to question the long-promoted Jewish narrative. Ironically, the debate regarding Mount Moriah does not end there. As if this problem isn't already complicated enough, you will no doubt find it interesting to learn that while for obvious political reasons many current-day Muslims deny that a Jewish temple ever stood on top of the Temple Mount, there's clear evidence that Muslims haven't always embraced this position. Consider, for example, that back in 1925, the Supreme Muslim Council -- the president of which at the time was Haj Amin al-Husseini, who was also the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem -- published a small, nine-page, English language pamphlet called "A Brief Guide to al-Haram al-Sharif". Page four of this pamphlet stated as follows:

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"The site is one of the oldest in the world. Its sanctity dates from the earliest (perhaps from pre-historic) times. Its identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the spot, according to the universal belief, on which ‘David built there an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (2 Samuel XXIV, 25)."

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Notice that it used the words "beyond dispute" in regard to Solomon's Temple being situated on the Temple Mount. That is a rather clear confirmation that the Muslims at the time -- beginning with the Grand Mufti himself -- were convinced that Mount Moriah was indeed the location of Solomon's Temple. But Middle Eastern politics being what they are, and the hatred towards Israel being what it is, today that belief has been buried, and replaced by the staunch view amongst Muslims that a Jewish temple never stood on the summit of Mount Moriah. Of course, back then in 1925, Israel had not yet declared itself a nation, and the 1948 war, followed by the 1967 Six-Day War, had not occurred yet. These events obviously radicalized the Muslim perspective, and both points of view -- Jewish and Muslim -- became deeply entrenched, and have remained so to this very day.

Let me mention that "Grand Mufti" was a position and title that was created by the British Mandate authorities during the British Mandate of Palestine in 1918. At that time, the British military government in Palestine was led by Ronald Storrs. The Grand Mufti was a Sunni Muslim cleric who was in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy sites. This included the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Since 2006, the position has been held by Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who was appointed by the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and not by the Jordanian Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.

Also of interest is the fact that the English name "Al-Aqsa Mosque" is derived from two different Arabic phrases. The first of these -- al-Masjid al-'Aqṣā -- means "the farthest mosque", and refers to the entire Temple Mount compound, or Haram al-Sharif, including the Dome of the Rock. The second phrase is "Jâmi' al-Aqṣā", and refers specifically to the silver-domed congregational mosque building, which is also referred to as al-Qibli Mosque, being as it houses al-Qibli Chapel. So in actuality, the Grand Mufti was given charge over the entire Temple Mount/the Noble Sanctuary, and not just over the mosque building alone.

As we have already discussed, despite the fact that there is no clear, unquestionable evidence that the temple stood on the top of the Temple Mount, and some evidence suggesting that it may have been located elsewhere, Orthodox Jews today remain convinced that this is precisely where both temples stood. So even if they were really built at the alternative location I mentioned a moment ago, the Orthodox Jews will never accept such a view, and they will only be satisfied if a new temple is constructed on the summit of Mount Moriah in East Jerusalem.

Sadly, while the Muslims and the Jews squabble over Mount Moriah/the Temple Mount/the Noble Sanctuary, heatedly debate over the actual location of the ancient Jewish temples, and even protest and shed blood over this issue, both sides fail to recognize and embrace the full truth of the matter. What is the truth to which I refer? What is the truth which they both overlook due to their spiritual blindness? It is the following which is made so plain in the Scriptures.

The fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ -- who is the one true Messiah, the only "Moshiach ben David" or "Messiah, son of David", and the only "King Messiah" who there will ever be -- ALREADY began building His true temple two thousand years ago. That temple consists of you and me, and all the Saints of God who have existed throughout time. It is NOT a building that is made with human hands, or one that is constructed of cement and steel. God's true Temple is in actuality spiritual in nature, exactly as Jesus told the woman from Samaria that it would be, even before the Second Temple had been destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Consider the following verses which are found in chapter four of the Gospel of John:

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall NEITHER IN THIS MOUNTAIN, NOR YET AT JERUSALEM, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH."


Do you see that? In that very moment, the Lord told the woman that the physical temple in Jerusalem would one day cease to exist, because God was in the process of creating something better which could not be destroyed by human hands, as the first and second temple had been. God the Father was building a spiritual temple comprised of Believers in whom His Spirit would dwell directly. You see, while many Christians may not be aware of this fact, God never desired a physical temple on the Earth to begin with. While He did acquiesce and honored King David's desire to build a house for the Lord -- which as we all know occurred during the reign of David's son, King Solomon -- God questioned David, and made it clear to him via the Prophet Nathan that it was not necessary for the king to construct a physical temple. Even after the First Temple had been completed, King Solomon recognized the limitations of his endeavors. This is clearly shown by the following set of verses:

"And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?"


"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"


As both the Biblical and the historical record reveal, and as I pointed out to you earlier in this series and have likewise explained in several other articles, eventually, the entire system of worship of the Jews became seriously corrupted. It became a cold, dead system of rigid laws and self-righteous works. In fact, worse yet, as the Old Testament attests, once the Israelites began to backslide from the Lord -- which they did on multiple occasions -- they even began to build temples to honor the false gods of the heathen nations around them.

Thus it was that Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Hosea began to warn the people of their sins, and God's impending judgments against them due to their rebellion and apostasy. Centuries later, the Apostles of the First Century would also preach this very same message. That is, that God doesn't need or dwell in temples made with hands. This fact becomes quite evident by verses such as the following:

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"


"The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?"


"Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these."


"For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof."


"Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?"


"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"


As we learned in part four of this series, in addition to what He had said to the woman of Samaria, Jesus prophesied that the Second Temple would eventually be destroyed, just as God had allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple of Solomon over six hundred years earlier. God was simply sick and tired of a corrupt religious system which was based on buildings and spiritually-dead rituals, not to mention the oppression and the self-righteousness which characterized such an evil system. So as I said, He decided to sweep it all away, and create something entirely new. God desired a spiritual temple. As many of you will already know, Jesus Christ in fact became the chief Cornerstone and the true Foundation Stone -- not the physical one under the Dome of the Rock -- of this spiritual temple. This is in fact even what He told His religious Jewish persecutors who rejected Him. Consider this set of verses, some of which I already shared with you in part two:

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU."


"Jesus answered and said unto them, DESTROY THIS TEMPLE, AND IN THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? BUT HE SPAKE OF THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."


"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST."


"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."


"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"


"‭‭And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [that is, Himself] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.‭"


"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."


"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes."


"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"


"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."


"And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"


"Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."


"But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."


"He came unto his own, and his own received him not."


"This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner."


"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed [that is disapproved, rejected, repudiated] indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious . . . Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."


Just as God's Spirit dwelt in Jesus' physical body without measure, Jesus and the Apostles taught -- as the Scriptures clearly confirm -- that the very same Holy Spirit not only dwells in us as well when we accept Christ, but we in fact symbolically become lively -- or living -- stones in God's spiritual Temple. This doctrinal truth is made very plain in verses such as the following:

"For he whom God hath sent [meaning Jesus] speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him."


"For it pleased the Father that in him [in Jesus] should all fulness dwell;"


"For in him [in Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."


"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; FOR HE DWELLETH WITH YOU, AND SHALL BE IN YOU."


"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence . . . But YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."


"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead DWELL IN YOU, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU."


"Know ye not that YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLETH IN YOU? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, WHICH TEMPLE YE ARE."


"What? know ye not that YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."


"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD; as God hath said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM, AND WALK IN THEM; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."


"In whom all the building fitly framed together GROWETH UNTO AN HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD: In whom ye also are BUILDED TOGETHER FOR AN HABITATION OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT."


"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS BY FAITH; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, THAT YE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD."


"And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; WHOSE HOUSE ARE WE, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."


"Ye also, AS LIVELY STONES, are built up A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ . . . But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"


"Him that overcometh WILL I MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."


"And I saw no temple therein: FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY AND THE LAMB ARE THE TEMPLE OF IT."


Please go to part nine for the continuation of this series.

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