O Jerusalem! America drafts plan to cut in 2

Apr. 10, 2008 - U.S. peace plan details have been obtained that would give the Palestinian Authority some control over parts of East Jerusalem and sections of the Temple Mount.

The PA would be allowed to open some official institutions in Jerusalem, could elect a mayor for the Palestinian side of the city and would deploy police forces to maintain law and order.

After five years, if both sides keep their commitments, the PA would be given full sovereignty over these areas.

Source: WorldNetDaily

Is The Ark of the Covenant In Zimbabwe?

Feb. 22, 2008 - Tudor Parfitt, a professor at the University of London's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies, has written a new book, The Lost Ark of the Covenant: Solving the 2,500 Year Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark. In the 1980's Parfitt lived with a Southern African clan called the Lemba. He believed there was some substance to their claim to be a lost tribe of Israel. That theory made world news in 1999 when genetic studies showed that...

A genetic marker specific to descendents of Judaism's Temple priests (cohens) was found to appear as frequently among the Lemba's priestly cast as in Jews named Cohen.

Another aspect of the Lemba tribe's "now-credible oral history" is a drumlike object called the ngoma lungundu. It has many similarities to the description of the Ark of the Covenant, and Parfitt was told by a Lemba elder "[It] came from the temple in Jerusalem. We carried it down here through Africa." Thr Ngoma disappeared during the 1940's, but Parfitt, whom TIME calls "a real life scholar-adventurer," sought for it until he found it on a dusty bottom shelf in the Harare Museum of Human Science in Zimbabwe.

If the object is not the Ark, Parfitt believes it may be a replica of the real thing because a Lemba legend says that the original Ngoma destroyed itself some 400 years ago and was rebuilt on its own "ruins." A History Channel special on this subject is scheduled for March 2.

Source: TIME

The Lost Ark of the Covenant: Solving the 2,500 Year Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark Harper Collins

African "Jews" For Jesus - Missionalia

Where Is The Ark Of The Covenant? - Various Theories

Archaeologists find link to 1st temple in controversial Jerusalem dig

Oct. 21, 2007 - While recently replacing 40-year-old electrical cables, and under supervision of the Israel Antiquities Authority, artifacts were discovered from the time of the first Jewish temple. The find was in a layer that has been undisturbed since the 8th century B.C.

Jon Seligman, Jerusalem regional archaeologist for the Antiquities Authority, said the find was significant since it could help scholars in reconstructing the dimensions and boundaries of the Temple Mount during the first temple period.

Source:Ha'Aretz

Muslims caught red-handed destroying Temple artifacts

Sept 2, 2007 - With the permision of Israeli police, Islamic authorities are using buldozers to dig a 1300 foot trench, and are apparently destroying part of a Second-Temple wall and temple artifacts. The Israeli Antiquities Authority are also ignoring the destruction. WorldNetDaily obtained pictures of the trench and some of the carved stone of the ancient wall, but the Waqf, the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount, deny that they found or destroyed any Jewish antiquities during their dig.

The last time the Waqf conducted a large dig on the Temple Mount – during construction 10 years ago of a massive mosque at an area referred to as Solomon's Stables – the Wafq reportedly disposed truckloads of dirt containing Jewish artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods.

In that case, the Israeli government stopped the construction and discovered many valuable artifacts from the temple era.

Source: WorldNetDaily

Muslims Erupt Over Temple Mount Excavations

Feb. 8, 2007 - Israeli archaeologists are conducting what they call "rescue" excavations outside the Temple Mount walls near the Al-Aksa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. They are reparing a wooden bridge to the only gate through which non-Muslim visitors can enter the Temple Mount. Muslims are being urged to protest the work.

The Muslim world is upset about archeological excavations around Jerusalem's Temple Mount because they fear it will disprove their claim that Jews never inhabited the Holy Land before 1948, an Israeli expert on Arabic matters said here.

Source:Crosswalk - Julie Stahl

Jerusalem 'tense' after clashes - BBC

Deep tension over Jerusalem holy site - BBC

Road to Temple Mount uncovered

Apr. 1, 2006 - A 2,000 year-old road has been uncovered by Israeli archeologists. It is the road that connected the Shiloah pool in the City of David to the Temple Mount compound.

Source:Jerusalem Post

Temple Mount Desecration Continues

Nov. 10, 2005 - The Committee Against the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount has warned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the plans by Islamic authorities to “renovate” an ancient tower are part of an overall plan to turn the holy site into a mega-mosque.

The Islamic Trust or Waqf has for years carried out illegal construction atop and under the Temple Mount, unchecked by Israeli authorities fearful of sparking an even greater conflict with the Muslim world.

Source: Jerusalem Newswire (Story no longer online)

First Temple-era seal discovered

Sept. 27, 2005 - A 2600 year old seal was found this week in the trash discarded by the Islamic Wakf from the Temple Mount. Bar-Ilan University archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay said that the find was the first of its kind from the time of King David.

He has not yet determined what the writing is on the seal, although three Hebrew letters -- thought to be the name of its owner -- are visible on one of its lines.

Source: Virtue On-Line News

New 'Sanhedrin' plans rebuilding of Temple

June 8, 2005 - Spokesmen for the newly re-established Sanhedrin have issued a request for gifts to enable the design, collection and storage of portions of of a restored Temple. They plan to prepare detailed architectural plans for the construction of structure.

The Sanhedrin was a 71-man assembly of rabbis that convened adjacent to the Holy Temple before its destruction in 70 AD and outside Jerusalem until about 400 AD.

Several prominent Jewish religious leaders are members of the new Sanhedrin, but leaders of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi have not joined the group.

Source:WorldNetDaily

Announcement from The Temple Institute

Dr. Jones to Uncover the Lost Ark

May 20, 2005 - Dr. Vendyl Jones, the real-life person that inspired "Indiana Jones character," believes he knows where the Ark of the Covenant is hidden. He thinks he will uncover the Ark in the Valley of Achor by by Tisha B'Av [August this year], the anniversary of the destruction of both the First and Second Holy Temples.

Source:Arutz Sheva

Exclusive: Dumped Temple Mount Rubble Yields Jewish Artifacts

Apr. 14, 2005 - Extensive illegal excavations by Muslims on the Temple Mount during the past couple of years has resulted in an artifact-rich mound of dirt in the Kidron Valley. The artifacts that are being sifted out of the dirt are the only available data from the Temple Mount to which modern archaeologists have ever had access. The information disproves the Islamic claim that there was never a Jewish Temple there.

Source:Arutz Sheva

Temple Mount march protest leaders arrested

April 10, 2005 - Israeli police, seeking to avert violence, effectively blocked the rally of thousands of Jews at the Temple Mount by closing all the entrances to the Old City, and arresting the leaders who came very early in the morning.

As of noon, only a few hundred protestors amassed near the Temple Mount, a trickle of the 10,000 Revava had hoped for. Demonstrators sang songs and danced, and chanted slogans about reclaiming the Mount for Jewish worship.

Source:WorldNetDaily

Muslims protest Jewish Temple Mount visit

Apr. 5, 2005 - Muslims are demonstrating all across the Middle East against a plan to convene 10,000 Jews at the Temple Mount on April 10th to spark discussion about reclaiming the area from the control of its Islamic custodians. A security source told WorldNetDaily that a Palestinian terror group plans use the Jewish visit to spark violence.

Source:WorldNetDaily

Revived Sanhedrin Discusses Temple

Feb. 28, 2005 - An amazing thing happened in Israel on Jan 20th. A ceremony was held in Tiberius, launching a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the land of Israel. It is thought that this is only the second time in the past 1,600 years that a Sanhedrin has been convened. Hal Lindsey explains:

These religious authorities believe it was necessary to re-establish the Sanhedrin because only this properly ordained body of sages can authenticate a Messiah when he comes.

The group is considering how the Temple can be rebuilt. One theory would allow it to be built north of the Dome of The Rock, raising the possibility that Jews and Muslims could share the Temple Mount. Lindsey thinks this could be the meaning of Revelation 11:1-2:

"I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, 'Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.'" (NIV)

Source:Hal Lindsey Oracle (Story no longer online)

A Contentious Battle for the Temple Mount's Survival

Oct. 7, 2004 - Pat Robertson interviewed Gabriel Barkay, a professor of Biblical archaeology at Bar Ilan University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Barkay explained that, when Israel took over the Temple Mount and allowed the Muslims to control it, there was secret agreement between the Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and Egyptians about a future way of sharing the Temple Mount. That older idea was that the Muslims would have the ues of everything above ground there, but the Jews would build underground structures that they could use. Preempting that possibility the Muslims have built a mosque that will hold 10,000 people adjacent to the al-Aqsa mosque. In the process they have weakened the southern retaining wall.

The wall is bulging out, and the people of Israel are warning that during Ramadan, if thousands and thousands of people come in there, that the entire structure could collapse. It is very serious.

Another matter of great concern behind this Muslim activity and "cultural Intifada." This is an attempt to erase all knowledge that the Jews were in the holy land, and to try to make believe that they had no right to be here at all.

Source:CBN

Experts: Temple Mount’s collapse inevitable

Sept. 27, 2004 - Illegal construction on the Temple Mount, coupled with recent earthquakes, makes it almost certain that the mount cannot support the 300,000 Moslem worshipers during the month of Ramadan which begins in just three weeks.

Officials fear the weight of the gathering will result in a catastrophic collapse, killing thousands and possibly doing great damage to the Al Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop the massive underground corridors that make up Solomon’s Stables.

Israeli officials are trying to convince Temple Mount authorities to limit attendance because a collapse would undoubtedly be blamed on the Jews and would start a riot.

Source: Jerusalem Newswire (Story no longer online)

Jews Barred From Temple Mount While Mourning Destruction Of Temples

June 27, 2004 - The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Gershon Solomon and the Temple Mount Faithful organization would not be allowed to enter The Temple Mount area to honor the Fast of Tisha B'Av. This Jewish holy day, the 9th of the Jewish month of Av, marks the destruction of both the first and second Temples. The reason given for the decision was the threat of violence from Muslims. Complaining about the decision, Health Minister Danny Naveh said "The Temple Mount is the only place in the world where Jews cannot pray, even though it is the holiest site to Judaism."

Source:Arutz Sheva

Eastern Temple wall in danger of immediate collapse

May 19, 2004 - The Israel Antiquities Authority has issued a warning that the 2,000-year-old eastern wall of Jerusalem's Temple Mount is in danger of immediate collapse. The weakness was caused by the moderate February 11th earthquake that rattled the region.

The report says that the February 11 earthquake damaged the eastern wall of the Temple Mount to such an extent that sections of the wall are liable to cave in on the underground architectural support of the mount, known as Solomon's Stables.

A team of senior Egyptian and Jordanian engineers have conducted various tests to determine the stability of the eastern wall. They discovered new cracks and movements in the already fragile structure.

Source: Jerusalem Post (Story no longer online)

Dome of the Rock Mosque Damaged in Quake

Feb. 24, 2004 - An Arabic Radio source claims that the roof of the Dome of the Rock Mosque on the Temple Mount was cracked during Israel's recent earthquake that hit Israel. The source also said that renovations will be funded by the United Arab Emirates.

Source:Arutz Sheva (Story no longer online)

Minor collapse highlights Temple Mount instability

Feb. 17, 2004 - A moderate earthquake last week in Jerusalem, followed by a snowstorm, evidently weakened a portion of the Temple Mount retaining wall, resulting in a partial collapse of the wall.

The cave in - which sent large rocks crashing down into the women's prayer section in front of the Western Wall... highlighted again the precarious overall condition of Judaism's holiest site...

Source:Jerusalem Newswire (Story no longer online)

Jews urged to emphasize Temple Mount

Dov Lior, who heads the Council of Yesha Rabbis, said ascending the Temple Mount while adhering to the Torah laws governing such a visit can "save us from our enemies."

Another Rabbi, Shar Yashuv Cohen, chief rabbi of Haifa said that there is no longer a religious ban on Jews ascending the Temple Mount, but the Chief Rabbinate has not yet officially endorsed such visits.

Source:WorldNetDaily

See earlier articles: Before Jan. 1, 2004