View onto the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives

View onto the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) and the Al Aksa Mosque. In the background to the right: You can see the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives (Har HaZe'itim).

Photo: Miriam Woelke

WAKF assaulting Jews on the Temple Mount

B"H

One of the task of the Muslim Temple Mount guards WAKF seems to be getting rid of any religious Jew on the Har HaBayit. Whereas most Haredim refrain from visiting the Temple Mount due to halachic reasons, many national religious Jews do visit the Temple Mount. Most religious guides demand that those Jews intending such a visit need to go the Mikveh before. Furthermore, due to halachic guidance, the Jewish visitors do not step onto the ground of the former Azarah including the Kodesh Ha'Kedoshim. 

Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount nor is it permitted to move ones lips. The reason for that may be that Arabs are very much aware of the power of a Jewish prayer which could cause the coming of Meshiach. 

Just a few days ago, the WAKF again started attacking religious Jews. 

Where is modern Israel going ?

B"H

The Jewish world is entering a three - week mourning period today and to me it looks as if there still is enough to mourn about the modern State of Israel. Apparently Muslims and Christians do what they want. The Muslims are violating the "Even HaShtiah" on the Temple Mount. Furthermore, Christians have been gaining more and more influence in our country. I suppose that this is due to millions of $ donations from fundamentalist American Christians to Netanyahu's LIKUD party. Moreover, Christians even have representatives in the Knesset.

Who would have believed that a Jewish State would end up like this ? The question is how G - d is going to react when facing so much idol - worship in His country ?

New excavation site near the "City of King David"

B"H

I am going to publish photos from the "City of King David - Ir David" within the next few days. What surprised me was seeing a new excavation site right across the "City of King David" while I was in Jerusalem yesterday. 

The excavations are still going on and there were no signs or descriptions. It may be that the site used to be part of the ancient Old City before the First Temple was built. In the times of King David, the city of Jerusalem was located where we find today's "City of King David" and not where today's Jewish Quarter is located. The very ancient city of Jerusalem was located in the middle of today's Arab village of Silwan. Right outside the Dung Gate near the Western Wall (Kotel) and below the Temple Mount. 

The Temple Mount on the right, in the background you can see the Mount of Olives (Har HaZe'itim) and to the very right is the Dung Gate.

Outside the Dung Gate

Right across the Dung Gate you can see the Arab village SILWAN. The village is part of Jerusalem and has been exisiting for only 50 years or so. A bit more than 100 years ago, there actually was a small village at the same spot but it was populated by Yemenite Jews who had come from Yemen to Jerusalem. The Yemenites couldn't find any housing, as local Jews didn't really want them. Christian missionaries tried prostelyzing them but didn't succeed. The Yemenites lived in caves and until today, you can see signs of Mezuzot on the oldest doorposts of Arab Silwan. 

The excavation site across the "City of King David" in Silwan. Very close to the Dung Gate and Temple Mount.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

JERUSALEM is not mentioned in the Koran

The OPHEL (Archeology Garden) right next to the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem. In the background you can see the minaret as well as the Al Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

The Koran doesn't mention Jerusalem once ! What Muslims do claim is that their Prophet Muhammed was riding on a magic flying horse towards heaven. According to Muslim ideology, this happened on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Fact is that there is no proof, whatsoever, that Muhammed ever visited Jerusalem. It is very likely that he had never been in the holy city but in order to keep the legend alive, someone cut two holes into the outer wall of the Second Temple. The explanation for those holes is that Muhammed, while "being in Jerusalem", tied his horse at this place. The holes, however, actually look quite new and not as old as almost 2000 years. :-)

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Rioting Palestinians

Rioting Palestinians

Photo: Reuter / Jerusalem Post

B"H

Once again, Palestinians started rioting and it all reminds me of the riots about the Mugrabi Bridge a few years ago.  This time the reason for the riots is a dead Palestinian at one of the checkpoints.

The "Jerusalem Post" and YNET have all details !

Over the course of the weekend, more than 1200 violent Palestinian protesters took part in riots across Judea & Samaria. This video shows the violent riots in Al-Ram, a village northeast of Jerusalem, where protesters set fires, blocked streets and hurled rocks at IDF forces. 

Also see the blog of the Israeli army

http://www.idfblog.com/2012/02/25/violent-palestinian-protesters-riot-judea-samaria/

Further background information: For many many years, Palestinians have been denying Jewish history. The two Jewish Tempels would be just an imagination and Israeli propaganda. In order to support the Arab history lie, Palestinians need to get rid of Jewish historical facts. The Waqf keeps on digging on the Temple Mount and destroying parts of the former Jewish Temple. The Palestinians don't even hide their illegal diggings but the Israeli government doesn't take any action. 

What will be next ? Are the Palestinians going to tare down the Kotel (Western Wall) in order to support their lie ? Let alone the permanent denial of the Holocaust !

http://www.jewishmag.com/42mag/templemount/templemount.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excavations_at_the_Temple_Mount

The Mugrabi - Bridge at the Kotel in January 2012. The bridge leads from the Kotel Plaza up onto the Temple Mount.

 Total view over the the Kotel Plaza with the bridge on the right

Photos: Miriam Woelke 

Pictures of the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in Jerusalem

B"H

The following great pictures I took last Sukkot. Enjoy !!!

Going down from the Jewish Quarter (Old City) towards the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) and Western Wall (Kotel).

In the background: The Al Aksa Mosque and the Mount of Olives

In the background: Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock

Background: Mount of Olives and the Arab village of Silwan where also the City of King David is located. 

 Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Why Palestinians want this video removed

Virtual Reconstruction: The SECOND TEMPLE of Herod

Jerusalem celebrating YOM YERUSHALAIM

Jerusalem's "March of the Flags" this afternoon.

All photos HERE !

B"H

Jerusalem was celebrating its 44th anniversary of unity and liberation. After winning the Six - Day - War in June 1967, the Jews got back the entire city of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount (Har HaBait) and the Kotel (Western Wall).

Unfortunately, the leftist Moshe Dayan (serving as Defense Minister in 1967) allowed the Arabs to remain on the Tempel Mount. If he had not done so and, instead, kicked the Muslims out of the Dome of the Rock or Al Aksa Mosque, things may look different today. After Israel's miraculous victory in the Six - Day - War caused the world to finally respect our country and no one would have said a word, if Israel had taken over the Temple Mount. However, Dayan gave it back to the Arabs and, although today, Israel rules over the Temple Mount, the Muslim Wakf is in charge of what is going on around the Dome of the Rock.

I have heard many people complaining about how stupid Dayan could have been and I replied that maybe it wasn't the time. Maybe it wasn't the time for the Jews reigning over the Temple Mount or causing Meshiach to come. Could it be that Dayan was just a tool and G - d used him for His won plans ?

Today, Yom Yerushalaim represents the day of the national religious movement celebrating their "March of the Flags" from Sacher Park down to the Kotel. You will hardly find any secular Jews or Haredim participating except for a few Nana Breslovers and Chabad Meshichistim in order to spread some of their own propaganda.:-)

The march has a kind of Mechitzah (gender separation) where national religious guys dance and wave Israeli flags. The girls walking behind the males, do the same. Yes, national religious girls dance openly and once I was shocked seeing them dancing in front of the Kotel. Haredim passed and one haredi woman walked up to the national religious dancing group and gave them a piece of advice.

Of course, Jerusalem is proud of its unity but the question is for how long this status quo is going to continue. Netanyahu is obviously trying to make a deal with the White House guy Barak Hussein and, in a few years time, Jerusalem could find itself being divided again.

My personal feeling is that the city has already been facing another division. East and West Jerusalem don't only mean "Here are the Arabs and there are the Jews". Lets be honest: How many Jews are going to the Arab parts of the city ? Do we consider those parts as ours ? The answer is that the Arabs come to West Jerusalem on a daily basis. To shop, to hang around or to work. On the other hand, not too many Jews walk around in Muslim neighbourhoods, as we are not too wanted. Arabs use the privilege of entering Jewish neighbourhoods but as soon as a Jew walks into Arab "territory", the Muslims freak and start yelling and cursing or sometimes even attack the Jew. As a result of this only a handful of Jews dare going into Arab neighbourhoods except for the police or the army.

Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

I don't feel comfortable walking around at Damascus Gate because the area is full of Hamas activists and their fans. The Damascus Gate area itself has a Jewish as well as an ancient Roman history but do I feel this connection today ? Of course, there are organizations such as "Ateret Cohanim" buying back property from Palestinian owners but somehow Jerusalem has never succeeded in getting rid of its Arab - Jewish division.

Glimpse onto the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit)

B"H

There are some national religious Jews who do insist on visiting the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) from time to time. "We have to show the Arabs that we are still around and never forget our heritage !", so their argumentation. However, the vast majority of the haredi world refuses going onto the Temple Mount because we Jews today are all in a state of impurity and don't just wash this away by going to the Mikveh. We cannot get rid of our spiritual impurity until we purify ourselves with the ashes of the Red Hefer (Parah Adumah) and those ashes haven't been rediscovered yet.

Last week, while touring through Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter of the Old City, I had a short glimpse onto the Temple Mount and here are the photos.
By the way, this particular entrance is only for Muslims !

Israeli police and border police is securing the entrance.

It is an unbelievable sad feeling when you look at something which is yours but you cannot get there !

Photos: Miriam Woelke

The First Temple and the Lost Ark

Imitation of the Ark

Photo: Yesha Net

B"H

With 17 Tammuz (about three weeks ago), we have entered the three – weeks mourning period before 9 Av (Tisha be'Av). On Tisha be'Av (this Monday night and Tuesday) we commemorate the destructions of the First and the Second Jerusalem Temple. Today we are praying for the arrival of Meshiach, the building of the Third Temple and the reinstitution of the Cohanim and Levi'im service in the Temple.

The Babylonian empire was founded in 441 BCE (according to the Jewish calendar in 3319). Nebuchadnezzar took the throne after he threw out the Assyrians. Only one year later, Nebuchadnezzar's army reached Judea and arrested King Yehoyakim. Seven years later, in 433 BCE (according to the Jewish calendar in 3327), the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem and was dragging thousands of Jews as well as King Zidkiyahu into the Babylonian Exile.

For the following 52 years, the Land of Israel was almost abandoned. Not entirely because there were Jews living in Israel at all times but most of the population was gone. Jeremia's (Yirmeyahu's) Prophecy: "And G – d spoke: After seventy years in Babylon, I will remember you and return you to this place". This happened with Ezra the Prophet: The Persian King Darius (a son of the Jewish queen Esther) allowed the Jews the return to Eretz Israel.

Talmud Yoma 54 discusses different possibilities where the Ark (Aron HaKodesh) could have vanished. Since then, researchers, historians and adventurer have been busy finding the Ark. Just take a look at Indiana Jones.:-)

So far, nobody has ever found the lost Ark of the Jews. Some claims state that the Ark was taken to Babylon, others claim that the Ark is in Ethiopia but the most likely solution is that the Ark has never left the Temple Mount. The Talmud teaches that before the Babylonians got hold of the First Temple, the Ark was hidden in secret tunnels underneath the Temple Mount. In fact there is a secret tunnel system under the Temple Mount leading into different parts of Jerusalem.

The Gemara (rabbinic discussions) in Yoma even tells us the exact location where the Ark may be hidden. To undermine the claim the Gemara tells us about a certain event happening during the times of the Second Temple:

Once a Cohen (Temple Priest) was busying himself inside the Temple and noticed an uneven pattern in the floor. Just as if someone had removed parts of the floor and later returned. The Cohen ran to his friends and wanted to tell them what he had seen but at this moment he died. The Talmud Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1 – 2 teaches about this rather strange incident. The Tiferet Israel commentates that G – d didn't want the Cohen to reveal the location of the hidden Ark and this is why the Cohen had to die.

There are many many legends and stories about the Ark but it will only be rediscovered when the time of Meshiach has come. The Ark together with the Ten Commandments, the ashes of the Red Cow (Parah Adumah) or Aharon's stick.

The question "Why the Palestinians haven't found the Ark" arises. Aren't they digging like mad on the Temple Mount just in order to get rid of any Jewish signs ? Answer: Sometimes you are standing right in front of an object but when G – d doesn't want you to see it, you won't even notice it.

Reish Lakish says in the Gemara in Yoma 54a:

When the Gentiles (here: Babylonians) entered the Sanctuary, they saw the Cherubim joined together".

The Talmud Tractate Bava Batra 99a teaches that the Cherubim (the two angels on the Ark) were facing each other when Israel (the Jews) acted according to G – d's will. As soon as the Jews did the opposite and sinned, the two Cherubim were looking into opposite directions. Why then were the two Cherubim embracing each other when the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple ? Answer: Because G – d wanted the nations to see how much He loves Israel (the Jews).

Longing for Beit HaMikdash (the Temple)

B"H

When you walk through Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter in the Old City today, you will mostly find antique sites from the Second Temple period. Here and there are some remains of the city wall from the period of the First Temple, however, everything else concentrates on the Second Temple. The Kotel HaMa'aravi - West(ern) Wall or the nearby Ophel. You can join tours taking you 30 meters below where the original market street in front of the Temple used to be. Where we stand today is about 30 meters on top of the original site where Rabbi Akivah or Rabbi Gamliel used to walk.

It is very emotional walking through the tunnel system underneath the Kotel as well as seeing the stones (from the top of the wall) thrown down by the Romans during the Second Temple destruction. On some of those stones you can still see black spots from the fire when the Temple was burning.

In the Ophel, right next to the Kotel Plaza, you can walk along the ancient shopping mall in front of the Second Temple. Where the Jews used to buy their sacrifices for the Temple. You can sit there and imagine how it used to be in those days. Busy streets, Jews buying sacrifices and walking up to the Temple. Going to the Mikweh (ritual bath) and then handing in the animal to be sacrificed.

What a great feeling must this have been and how could the people 2000 years be so ignorant of all the Shechinah (G - d's presence) surrounding the Temple. At least in those early days of the Second Temple when corruption among the Cohanim did not yet take place.

How could the Jews start fighting when they had a Temple ? When the Prophet Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) was warning them.

The question is if we today would be so much better. We may think so but when it comes to fights, arguments and priorities we are probably not so much better than our ancient ancestors. Is it of any use sitting in the Ophel and dreaming about the good old days with the 

Second Temple ? Of course all those ancient sites and stones provide the visitor with a certain emotional feeling but how about concentrating on the future ? As we know from the Talmud, the Second Temple didn't include such a high level of the Shechinah as the First Temple did. There was no more Aron HaKodesh (ark with the tablets), all the great prophets were gone, the Shamir (a kind of small animal King Salomon used for cutting the stones of the First Temple) had vanished and all the other visible miracles were gone.

The Talmud Tractate Yoma explains us that only a bit more than 40,000 Jews came back to Israel from the Babylonian Diaspora. Hundreds of thousands of other Jews preferred staying in Babylon where they had built up their businesses. Why returning to Jerusalem where there are only ruins ? The result was that the Second Temple has never reached the level of Kedusha (holiness) as the First Temple did.

Instead of dreaming about a glorious past we should concentrate on the future; meaning on Meshiach and the Third Temple. Not looking back in history but imagining us sitting in the Third Temple and we should all do something that we get there very soon.

Temple Institute wants to offer Pessach Sacrifice

B"H

Several halachic issues occur in this case and Jews should not offer any sacrifices (Korbanot). However, Christians and unstable Jews will go for it.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/136594

New Riots on the Temple Mount

B"H


The Jerusalem police is on high alert. Some Jewish right - wingers had announced a special prayer on the Temple Mount and the Palestinians went mad. As soon as the Jews go onto the Temple Mount to look around, the Arabs just see another attack. It is already a shame that Jews are not to pray on the Temple Mount but only to walk around. Israeli police is not letting Jews pray at the holy site.
As soon as the news about the new prayer was spreading, the Palestinians called for protection. Muslims should come and protect their "holy site" and Mohammed.
Mohammed, by the way, was never in Jerusalem and Islam has absolutely nothing to do with the Jewish Temple Mount. Today the reign over the Har HaBayit is just a statement of political power and the Arab world knows how to use it by spreading the rumour that there were never any Jewish Tempels on the Temple Mount. However, they can lie as much as they want and try to rewrite history but they cannot change a historical fact.


This morning, the Israeli police got attacked by Arab rioters.




Links:


Pictures from the Temple Mount


How the Palestinians have been trying to destroy any Jewish sign on the Temple Mount


Tempel Mount Tour







From the Jewish point of view, there are different opinions if today, we (Jews) are allowed to enter the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit). After the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and the ashes of the Red Hefer (Parah Adumah) disappeared, we are unable to cleanse ourselves from spiritual as well as from physical impurity.
The national religious movement is very much in favour of visiting the Temple Mount today. "We cannot just leave it to the Arabs but have to show Jewish presence !" - so their claim. Haredim, however, are strictly against walking around on the Temple Mount, as we are impure and don't know for sure where the sites are where only the Cohanim (Priests) were allowed to walk. "First the Meshiach has to come and then we will be able to purify ourselves !"

Excavations in front of the "Mughrabi Gate"

B"H


Does anyone still remember the riots almost two years ago ? First, the Palestinians caused the whole word to feel sorry for them and look at the Temple Mount (Har HaBeit). The Jews would dig right in front of the "Mughrabi Gate" located next to the Kotel (Western Wall) and those digs are nothing else but a camouflage. The real truth is that the Jews try to storm the Temple Mount in order to throw the Muslims out. Already at that time, not too many people believed these idiotic accusations !


Originally, the dispute started after an earthquake causing the bridge, leading from the Kotel Plaza up to the Temple Mount, to collapse. Thus, the Jerusalem Municipality planned a new bridge but soon archeologists had to be called in because construction workers found antique ruins; obviously from the Byzantine Period. The archeologists started their digs and the Muslims were upset. For many years, the Muslims have been trying very hard to get rid of any proof that there once was a Jewish presents in Jerusalem and that there were any Temples at all. Instead the Palestinians claim until today that the Jews were never in Jerusalem and later stole the land from them. Most Jewish history would be nothing more but a legend. The Muslims keep on announcing that Jerusalem had always been Islamic, despite the fact that history proofs the opposite and despite the fact that the Koran doesn't even mention Jerusalem once, and that Mohammad had never been in Jerusalem.


What happened to the excavations, the new bridge and the conflict ? Two years ago, almost all foreign TV stations (e.g. BBC) broadcasted live from the Kotel and the Arab riots on the Temple Mount.


The digs are still taking place and a whole Byzantine settlement has been discovered. The Palestinians are still upset about the archeological digs and keep on making ridiculous claims. The new wooden bridge is only temporarily set up and a new firm bridge is going to be build after the excavations are ending.


So far, about the subject "ridiculous claims, Arab riots and the Palestinian history lie".