The Temple Location

Tradition holds that the two previous temples of Solomon and Herod were situated over the Dome of the Rock. There have also been theories that the temple was just to the North or just to the South of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. Recently, with what seems to go back to the writings of Ernest L. Martin in 1994, there has been a lot of theories and beliefs that the temple may not have been on the Temple Mount, but rather to the South of the Temple Mount in the City of David. This page will look at the arguments for both sides with references for further personal reasearch. This page is focused more on the spacial aspect of the temple. For the history of the temple, go here.

I still have to do some more research on this but it presents, at the very least, some compelling thoughts. I also recognize I’m no authority on archaeology or history and so this page is a working collection of points from experts on both sides and is a work in progress....

What Do We Know?

The first place to start is simply to examine quotes from Biblical and historical first hand accounts. From the Bible we don't get much of a description of the details of the location, but we do know some facts about its location.

From the Bible

From scripture we can gather that the temple was opposite the Mount of Olives on Mount Moriah where the threshingfloor was within the walls of Jerusalem at the time of Solomon.

As described in 1 Kings 3:2-4, prior to the temple being built, “the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD.” Then both 2 Kings 15:35 and 2 Chronicles 27:3-4 speak of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, building a higher gate of the house of the LORD because the people were still sacrificing and burning incense in the high places. This would seem to imply that the temple, which was on Mount Moriah, had points higher to it upon which people were sacrificing such that a gate was built on to that higher side.

From Favius Josephus

From Aristeas

The Views

There are five views as generally represented in the image below. You can click on the various temples to jump to that section. (This depiction is not precise, it's meant to be a general view)

The Temple Mount

Modern Destruction By Richard Benkin, Ph.D. (May 2003) - In 1886, British explorer Captain Charles Wilson undertook the most comprehensive survey of Jerusalem in modern times, noting, “No one has ever questioned that the [Jewish] Temple formerly stood within the Haram-es-Sherif [Moslem name for the Temple Mount].”¹ It would be difficult to think of a more absurd notion. To deny that reality denies the essence of both Jewish and Christian scripture. They both contain voluminous reference to the temples, from their construction to the events in the life of Jesus. In fact, Moslem and Arab history also confirms Warren’s declaration. Before 638 CE—a rather late date in the history of that region—there was no Islamic presence in Jerusalem. Its conqueror, the Umayyad Caliph, Umar, asked its Byzantine Patriarch, Sophronius, to show him the site of the Jewish Temples almost immediately upon entering the city. Sophronius did so and said, “Here is that appalling abomination.” Umar was indeed appalled—but not by the Temple itself. He was incensed at the accumulated garbage and debris, which he believed desecrated that Jewish holy site. He ordered the site cleansed immediately in a manner befitting its holy purpose. Soon thereafter, he commissioned The Dome of the Rock on the Mount, and his son had Al-Aqsa mosque built there as well. These edifices were not constructed to mark a Moslem holy site but to advertise Moslem hegemony over Jerusalem with its Jewish and Christian holy sites. more...

There are four beliefs of the placement of the temple on the Temple Mount area. The traditional location places the temple where the Dome of the Rock currently sits. There are also conjectures for a location to the North and to the South of the Dome of the Rock.

Traditional Location

The traditional location places the Holy of Holies on the rock over which the Dome of the Rock was built. It is believed to be the site where Abraham offered Isaac and the threshingfloor David purchased and built a temple to the Lord on.

Certain historical accounts say that this building was built by the Moslems to overlay the location of the original Jewish Temple(s) and most rabbis in Israel today associate the original Temple location with this site. Dr. Leen Ritmeyer has researched and written on the original 500 cubit square boundaries of the original Temple Mount site based on this assumption. Recent journal articles still support this view. (1) Former Jerusalem District archaeologist Dr. Dan Bahat vigorously defends the traditional location - drawing on his years of experience and study of the entire city and its history. - Templemount.org

Arguments For

Arguments Against

Northern Location

Based on a number of topological and archaeological considerations, research by Dr. Asher Kaufman over the past two decades has resulted in serious consideration being given to a site 330 feet to the north of the Dome of the Rock. The Mt. Moriah bedrock outcrops within the Dome of Rock, as is well known. Although the bedrock elevation drops sharply to the south in the direction of the City of David, the level of the bedrock is just beneath the paving stones for over 100 meters to the North of the Dome of the Rock shrine. One particular level outcropping of this bedrock lies under a small Islamic shrine known as "The Dome of the Tablets" or "The Dome of the Spirits," to the Arabs. Both names suggest an association with the Jewish Temples. It is under this small, unimpressive canopy supported by pillars that Dr. Kaufman locates the Temple site. - Templemount.org

Arguments For

The Third Temple Entrance In Alignment With The East Gate - This author presents the information which places the Holy of Holies at the Dome of the Spirits/Dome of the Tablets and is lined up with the Golden Gate directly to the East.

The Dome of the Spirits
This small dome, also called the Dome of the Tablets, has attracted interest because of Asher Kaufman’s theory that it marks the place of the Holy of Holies in the Second Temple. The dome is located on the east-west line from the peak of the Mt. of Olives through the Golden Gate to the two domes of the Holy Sepulcher on the west. Upon the peak of Olivet, according to the Mishnah, the High Priest used to stand when he sacrificed the Red Heifer. During this ceremony, he would have had to look into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood in its direction; the Temple should have lined up, then, with the peak. Kaufman adduced archaeological data to support the theory that the Temple was here, but it has not gained wide acceptance, partly because of the topography. We know from Warren’s investigations (1868) that a little to the north was a moat, extending St. Anne’s Valley. Herod filled it in, but it was probably there in Solomon’s time. Assuming the Second Temple was built where the First had been, the north side of Solomon’s Temple, if here, would have been on the slope, slightly below the peak and asymmetrically close to this moat. Without more archaeology, however, no one can be certain where the Temple was.

Dome of the Spirit - Jerusalem - This little dome, about 10 feet in diameter, has been called the “Dome of the Spirit” and the “Dome of the Tablets” for many centuries. Some archeologists believe it was the actual site of the Holy of Holies, for three reasons:
- (1) it is in perfect alignment with the ancient East Gate
- (2) it is the only place on the Temple Mount where the floor is solid bedrock, just like the threshing floor that King David purchased as the site for the altar, II Sam. 24:24
- (3) the dome stands 330 feet north of the Dome of the Rock, allowing enough room to rebuild the Jewish temple on this site if one would “leave out the court which is outside the Temple” as God instructed John, Rev. 11:2.

With the temple placed such that the Holy of Holies is located on the Dome of the Spirits, this is what it would look like. Put together with Revelation 11:1-2 we have a location that fits with Bible prophecy such that if the outer court is not built for this third temple, it fits right next to the Dome of the Rock and the Holy of Holies lines up perfectly with the Golden Gate, or East gate.

Arguments Against

Fountain Location

This view puts the temple over the Al Kas Fountain between the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Arguments For

Arguments against

Southern Location

This view has been put forth by several people, including Tuvia Sagiv and Norma Robertson. It places the temple to the South of the Dome of the Rock in place of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Arguments For

Arguments against

Temple in the City of David

The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot by Ernest L. Martin was released in 1994 and presented an alternative view based on interpretations of the writings of Flavius Josephus and others as well as archaeological evidence that the first and second temples were not located on the traditionally accepted location of the temple mount.

Honestly I find the subject fascinating if not somewhat overwhelming not having the greatest grasp of history and archaeology, but given the potential impact on the future state of the prophetic rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, I feel it’s important to look into it.

Arguments For

The Gihon Spring

Gihon means "Gusher" and it is a siphon spring that could pump water 40 stories, 400 feet from the bottom of the Gihon up to the City of David.

The Pool of Siloam

The area is an acre in size. The archaeologist who found it said, "It's the world's largest mikvah." This is fitting for the large number of people who would have to ritually bathe to go to the temple. Furthermore, where this only natural source of water in Jerusalem is, is about 1/3 of a mile from the Temple Mount. The temple would have to be close to the mikvah to prevent becoming unclean on the way to the temple. They also found the original stairs from the Herodian period going from the Pool of Siloam up to the city of David.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Hezekiah’s Tunnel, part of Jerusalem’s water system, is located under the City of David. It connects the Gihon Spring—Jerusalem’s fresh water supply—with the Siloam Pool. According to 2 Chronicles 32:2–4 and 2 Kings 20:20, this tunnel was dug during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah to prepare Jerusalem for the imminent attack of the Assyrian king, Sennacherib. In the Bible, Hezekiah redirected the water through old and newly dug Jerusalem tunnels.