The Temple Mount: 3,000 years of sacred history

The Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif in Arabic) is a 37-acre platform in Jerusalem's Old City that is sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. No other place on earth carries this density of religious significance.

Jewish tradition identifies it as Mount Moriah, where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22). Solomon built the First Temple here around 960 BC; it was destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC. The Second Temple was rebuilt by returning exiles and dramatically expanded by Herod; it was destroyed by Rome in 70 AD. The Western Wall is the only remaining structure from Herod's platform.

For Christians, this is where Jesus overturned the money changers' tables, where he taught in Solomon's Portico, and where the early church gathered after Pentecost (Acts 2–5). For Muslims, it is where Muhammad ascended to heaven during the Night Journey; the Dome of the Rock (built 691 AD) marks the spot.

Today, the Temple Mount is administered by a Jordanian Islamic trust (Waqf). Non-Muslim visitors may enter during limited morning hours but may not pray. The site is a microcosm of the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict — history, religion, and politics layered on a single hilltop.