Western Wall and the Temple Mount

Tours of Israel often make a point of visiting the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. From the Western Wall you can see the remains of the Temple in Jerusalem. Originally a part of the most amazing building every built in Jerusalem, the Western Wall was one of four walls built by Herod the Great to support a 1,555,000 sq ft plaza which the Temple stood on. However, the architecture is not the reason that the Western Wall has become such an honored site to the Jewish People. Solomon said, "May Your eyes be open day and night toward this House, toward the place of which You have said, 'My name shall abide there;' may You heed the prayers which Your servant will offer toward this place. And when You hear the supplications which Your servant and Your people Israel offer toward this place, give heed in Your heavenly abode..." (1 Kings 8:17).

Abraham was the first to link the Jews to Jerusalem when he offered his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) as a sacrifice. The Temple Mount is now above and behind the Wall, and the rock of the offering, which is now covered by the Dome of the Rock (built in the late 7th century) is said to be the Foundation Stone of the world in Jewish tradition. This land has a long and important history-Kind David bought this land, Solomon's First Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE by Babylonians, Herod made the Second Temple larger and then the Second Temple was burned in 70 CE by the Romans leaving only the Western Wall. Talmudic sages began to teach after this that "This is the Western Wall of the Temple , which is never destroyed for the shekhinah [the Divine presence] is in the west" (Bamidbar Rabah 11:63). The Wall was nicknamed the Wailing Wall in the Middle Ages when the Jews were seen to lament here about the Temple's destruction. Legend speaks of the dew glistening on the stones of the Wall as the actual tears being shed by the Wall on Ninth of Av, which is the anniversary of when the Temple was destroyed. Israel escorted tours often visit this location for the more modern aspect of the Wall's history as it divided Jerusalem for 19 years (1948-1867). Jerusalem was later reunited on June 7, 1967 in the Six Day War. The Western Wall symbolizes a great deal of Jewish history, which is why it is such a key site for Jewish travel.