Areal View of Temple Mount in Jerusalem

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Aerial View of the Temple Mount

The Temple complex was made up of a square, in a square, in a square. The first square was the Holy of Holies. The second was the sacred area that the gentiles were not allowed to enter, and the last square was the outer courts/court of the gentiles.

Herod increased the size of those outer courts. BUT IT REMAINED A SQUARE!
The increased size of the compound after Herod's rebuilding was approximately 600 X 600 feet.

When I saw this aerial photo of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Nov. 9, 2000 I could see that square clearly in the ruins. I was not surprised to learn that the area that I believed contained the Temple compound, or complex, was exactly 600 feet by 600 feet!

Look for the Ophel Ruins at the bottom of this photo

Temple Mount Jerusalem ..

Temple location

This is a photo of the East side of the Ophel ruins.
Excavation of this area began in 1967

..
click on photo for enlarged view

Warren's map pasted over this photo.

Warren map over Temple Mount

This is the southern half of a the survey map by the explorers, Sir Charles Wilson and Charles Warren in 1860's and 70's.
This map shows the cisterns and structures underground on the temple mount. It showed the ruins of old gates under the Mount. I combined it with the picture of the Ophel ruins, with its exposed gate. Together this map and photo confirmed what I had seen! Four gates, of North, West, East, and South formed a 600 foot square area. The same size of the Temple described by Josephus Flavius an early historian who visited the Temple of Herod before it was destroyed in 70 AD.

The evidence of these gates and the other evidence found in these maps, led me to create a diagram of the temple.

Solomon and Herod Temple
Click Here for larger image.

This places the location of the first and second Temples under the Al Aksa mosque! Not under the Dome of the Rock.

Diagram of Solomon's in green and Herod's extended Temple complex in blue laid over the photo.

Temple Diagram over Temple Mount

"Locating Solomon's' Temple" eBook
by Norma Robertson

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New! "Locating Solomon's Temple" now on Video!
Click here four videos 10 to 15 minutes in length