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Ed Horner is the Jerusalem Bureau Chief for Shofar Communications, Inc. He is on special assignment in Israel to bring us first hand accounts of the news, as it happens, and to get exclusive interviews with newsmakers in that area. His wife, Allison Horner, is a photojournalist, and brings us images from the Israeli front.

Excavations Underway on the Temple Mount

September 07, 2007

Excavations are underway on the Temple Mount to repair electrical cables to the multiple buildings in the complex. Large pieces of ancient structures are being unearthed as the Islamic Waqf continues to use heavy equipment to dig trenches across the holiest site in Judaism.

Heavy equipment refilling trenchTemple Mount excavations tractor
Heavy equipment refilling trenchTemple Mount excavations tractor

Trench on the Platform of Dome of the RockStructural Stones Unearthed
Trench on the Platform of the DomeStructural Stones Unearthed
Archaeologists recently expressed their concern that the Islamic Waqf was destroying precious Temple artifacts as they dug trenches across the Temple Mount area. A wall reportedly from the second temple was discovered as a trench was dug across the platform where the Dome of the Rock stands. Today that trench has been filled back in and the stones of the platform have been replaced over the area, but excavations continue on other areas of the Temple Mount complex.

Trench Being Refilled in al Aksa CourtyardWorkers Filling Trench and Replacing Tile
Trench Being Refilled in al Aksa CourtyardWorkers Filling Trench and Replacing Tile

Piles of paving stones mixed with structural stonesal_aksa_mosque_courtyard
Piles of paving stones mixed with structural stonesAl Aksa Mosque Courtyard
In the plaza surrounding the Al Aksa Mosque, tractors and heavy equipment continue to unearth precious artifacts from the past two millennia. Columns from previous buildings lay strewn beside the excavation area and ancient building blocks litter the piles of stone that have been unearthed.

Stone Column DiscardedStone columns laying beside filled in trench
Stone columns laying beside filled in trenchStone Column Discarded
The Temple Mount consists of two prominent buildings in the complex. The Al Aksa Mosque stands at the southern end of the complex and is recognizable by the Pewter dome. The Al Aksa Mosque is a working mosque where hundreds of thousands of Muslims come each year to pray and worship. It is surrounded by a large stone courtyard where congregants can kneel as they pray toward Mecca, the holiest city to the Islamic faith located in Saudi Arabia.

Al Aksa Mosque on Temple MountPurification Pool in front of al Aksa Mosque
Al Aksa Mosque on Temple MountPurification Pool in front of al Aksa Mosque

Dome of the Rock platformDome of the Rock entrance
Dome of the Rock platformDome of the Rock entrance
The other more recognizable structure on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock. It is an octagonal building adorned with a gold dome and covers the bedrock stone of Mount Moriah. The Dome of the Rock has stood on this location for the past 1,400 years and is now under the protection of the Islamic Waqf. The Dome of the Rock is surrounded by a raised platform dominating the Temple Mount complex. The Dome of the Rock is a monument to the place where according to Muslim tradition Mohammed ascended to heaven on a white horse. No formal prayers are held inside of the Dome of the Rock. When Muslim worshipers pray toward Mecca at the Al Aksa Mosque, they will turn their backs to the Dome of the Rock.

Mugrabi Gate entranceLamp inside of the Dome of the Rock
Mugrabi Gate entranceLamp inside of the Dome of the Rock


Inner Dome inside the Dome of the RockRock inside of the Dome of the Rock
Inner Dome inside the Dome of the RockRock inside of the Dome of the Rock

The current excavations are not on the raised platform surrounding the Dome of the Rock. The bulk of the digging is now located in the plaza surrounding the Al Aksa Mosque and the area around the raised platform of the Dome of the Rock. Workers continue to use heavy equipment to dig trenches in order to lay new electrical cables needed for the two buildings. The Islamic Waqf continues to deny Israeli archaeologists access to the multiple large structural stones being unearthed.



View of archaeological park from Mugrabi GateHole where manhole will be poured
View of archaeological park from Mugrabi GateHole where manhole will be poured
Israel's holiest location is being desecrated without any accountability of the Muslims entrusted with the site. Archaeological finds are being discarded without any establishment of their value or context. The excavations continue unimpeded with no apparent end in sight.

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