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1000 BC - Purchasing Mount Moria
King David conquered Jerusalem, which
was a Jebusite city located on the Ophel hill, southeast of today's
Old City area. He bought a neighboring hill, which was later identified
with Mount Moria (the site of Isaac's sacrifice), on which he placed
the Ark of the Covenant.
950 BC - The Construction of the First
Temple
King Solomon, the son of David, built
the First Temple on Mount Moria, which known today as the Temple
Mount.
586 BC - The Destruction of the First Temple
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, conquered
Jerusalem, burnt the Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon.
515 BC - The Construction of the Second
Temple
In 537 BC, after 50 years in the Babylonian exile, the Jews were
allowed to return to Jerusalem and began to rebuild the city and
the Temple. The Second Temple was completed in 515 BC.
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Model
of Second Temple |
37-
4 BC - Herod's Temple
Herod the Great was appointed to the
King of Judah and begun to reconstruct the Second Temple and to
build the Temple Mount. He built an incredibly magnificent temple
and a retaining wall around the Temple Mount enclosure.
70 AD - The Destruction of the Second Temple
The Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans led to the fall
of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple by Titus.
The only remnant left was the western part of the Temple Mount's
retaining wall, which became the focal point of the Jewish people
throughout the centuries. The authentic bricks of that wall can
be seen at the bottom rows of today's Western Wall.
May 14, 1948 - The Western Wall Falls to
Jordanian Hands
A few hours after the official proclamation of the state of Israel,
the Arab armies of the neighboring countries invaded Israel, and
the terrible War of Independence begun. The Old City of Jerusalem,
with the Western Wall in its center, fell to Jordanian legionnaires.
June
7, 1967 - Israel Regains Control of the Western Wall
During the Six Days War and after 19 years, in which the access
to the Wall was prevented from the Jews, the Israeli army recaptured
the Old City of Jerusalem, and liberated the Western Wall.
The Year 2000 - E-Communication with the
Western Wall
Maintaining the old tradition of placing a note with a prayer to
God in the Wall's bricks, the era of High Technology and e-communication
provides a virtual answer for those who like to send their prayers
to God, without actually visiting the Wall. The believer can now
send his request via e-mail or fax and it will be placed between
the Wall's bricks.
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