Jerusalem is a city of contrasts. In Israel, there are permanent hostilities between Muslims and Jews, at the same time, Jews, Arabs, Armenians and others live peacefully in this holy place.
Jerusalem temples carry the memory of several millennia. The walls remember the decrees of Cyrus the Great and Darius I, the revolt of the Maccabees and the reign of Solomon, the expulsion of merchants from the temple by Jesus.
Read on and you will learn a lot of interesting things from the history of temples in the holiest city on the planet.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem temples have been impressing the imagination of pilgrims for thousands of years. This city is truly considered the most sacred on earth, as believers of three religions aspire here.
Temples of Jerusalem, photos of which will be given below, belong to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Today, tourists tend to the Wailing Wall, al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, as well as the Church of the Ascension and the templeOur Lady.
Jerusalem is also famous in the Christian world. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (photo will be shown at the end of the article) is considered not only the place of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. This shrine also indirectly became one of the reasons for the beginning of the whole era of the Crusades.
Old and New City
Today there is a New Jerusalem and an Old one. If we talk about the first, then it is a modern city with wide streets and high-rise buildings. It has a railway, the latest shopping malls and a lot of entertainment.
The construction of new quarters and the settlement of them by Jews began only in the nineteenth century. Prior to this, people lived within the modern Old Town. But the lack of a place for construction, lack of water and other discomfort influenced the expansion of the boundaries of the settlement. It is noteworthy that the first inhabitants of the new houses were paid money to move out from behind the city wall. But they still returned to the old quarters for a long time at night, as they believed that the wall would protect them from enemies.
The new city today is famous not only for innovation. It has many museums, monuments and other attractions that date back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
However, in terms of history, the Old City is more important. Here are the most ancient shrines and monuments that belong to the three world religions.
The Old City is part of modern Jerusalem, once located behind the wall of the fortress. The district is divided into four quarters - Jewish, Armenian,Christian and Muslim. This is where millions of pilgrims and tourists come every year.
Some temples in Jerusalem are considered world shrines. For Christians, this is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, for Muslims - the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for Jews - the remains of the temple in the form of the Western Wall (Wailing Wall).
Let's take a closer look at the most popular Jerusalem shrines that are revered all over the world. Many millions of people turn in their direction when praying. Why are these temples so famous?
First Temple
No Jew could ever call a sanctuary "the temple of Yahweh." This was contrary to religious precepts. “The name of G-d cannot be spoken,” so the sanctuary was called the “Holy House,” “Adonai’s Palace,” or “Elohim’s House.”
So, the first stone temple was erected in Israel after the unification of many tribes by David and his son Solomon. Prior to this, the sanctuary was in the form of a portable tent with the Ark of the Covenant. Small places of worship are mentioned in several cities such as Bethlehem, Shechem, Givat Shaul and others.
The symbol of the unification of the Israeli people was the construction of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The king chose this city for one reason - it was on the border of the possessions of the Yehuda and Benjamin families. Jerusalem was considered the capital of the Jebusites.
So, at least from the side of the Jews and Israelites, it should not have been plundered.
David purchased Mount Moriah (today known as the Temple Mount) from Arava. Here, instead of a threshing floor, an altar to God was laidin order to stop the disease that struck the people. It is believed that this is the place where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son. But the prophet Naftan urged David not to build the temple, but to entrust this responsibility to his grown son.
Therefore, the First Temple was built during the reign of Solomon. It existed until the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
Second Temple
Almost half a century later, the new Persian ruler Cyrus the Great allows the Jews to return to Palestine and rebuild the temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem.
The Decree of Cyrus allowed not only the people to return from captivity, but also gave away trophy temple utensils, and also ordered to allocate funds for construction work. But upon the arrival of the tribes to Jerusalem, after the erection of the altar, quarrels begin between the Israelites and the Samaritans. The latter were not allowed to build the temple.
The disputes were finally resolved only by Darius Hystaspes, who replaced Cyrus the Great. He confirmed all the decrees in writing and personally ordered the completion of the construction of the sanctuary. Thus, exactly seventy years after the destruction, the main shrine of Jerusalem was restored.
If the First Temple was called Solomon's, the newly erected one was called Zerubbabel. But over time, it fell into disrepair, and King Herod decides to reconstruct Mount Moria so that the architectural ensemble fits into more luxurious city quarters.
Therefore, the existence of the Second Temple is divided into two stages - Zerubbabel and Herod. Surviving the Maccabean revolt and Roman conquest, the sanctuarytook on a somewhat shabby appearance. In 19 BC, Herod decides to leave a memory of himself in history along with Solomon and rebuilds the complex.
Especially for this, about a thousand priests studied construction for several months, since only they could get inside the temple. The building of the sanctuary itself bore several Greco-Roman attributes, but the king did not particularly insist on changing it. But Herod completely created the external buildings in the best traditions of the Hellenes and Romans.
Only six years after the completion of the construction of the new complex, it was destroyed. The beginning of the anti-Roman uprising gradually resulted in the First Jewish War. Emperor Titus destroyed the sanctuary as the main spiritual center of the Israelites.
Third Temple
It is believed that the third temple in Jerusalem will mark the coming of the Messiah. There are several versions of the appearance of this shrine. All variations are based on the book of the prophet Ezekiel, which is also part of the Tanakh.
So, some believe that the Third Temple will miraculously emerge overnight. Others argue that it needs to be erected, as the king showed the place by building the First Temple.
The only thing that is not in doubt among all those who advocate the construction is the territory where this building will be. Oddly enough, both Jews and Christians see it in a place above the foundation stone, where Kubat al-Sakhra is located today.
Muslim shrines
Speaking about Jerusalem temples, one cannot focus exclusively on Judaism orChristianity. Here is also the third most important and most ancient shrine of Islam. This is the al-Aqsa (“Remote”) mosque, which is often confused with the second Muslim architectural monument - Kubat al-Sahra (“Dome of the Rock”). It is the latter that has a large golden dome, which can be seen for many kilometers.
Al-Aqsa is located on the Temple Mount. It was built in 705 AD, by order of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab al-Farouk. The mosque was rebuilt several times, repaired, destroyed during an earthquake, served as the headquarters of the Templars. Today, this shrine can accommodate about five thousand believers.
It is important to remember that al-Aqsa has a bluish-gray dome and is much smaller than that of al-Sahra.
The Dome of the Rock delights with its architecture. It is not for nothing that many tourists experience mild stages of frustration due to visiting Jerusalem. This city is simply amazing with its beauty, antiquity and concentration of history.
As-Sahra was built at the end of the seventh century by two architects on the orders of Caliph Abd al-Malik al-Merwan. In fact, it was built several years earlier than al-Aqsa, but it is not a mosque. In the architectural sense, this is a dome over the sacred "foundation stone", from which, as they say, the creation of the world began and Muhammad ascended to heaven ("miraj").
Thus, in Jerusalem there is a whole complex of Islamic shrines on the Temple Mount. This is a city of contrasts, despite the tense situation inregion, just a few dozen meters away, Jews pray near the Wailing Wall.
Church of the Mother of God
The Church of Our Lady in Jerusalem, which today is officially called the Monastery of the Assumption of Our Lady, has an interesting and chaotic history.
It was built in 415 under Bishop John II. It was a Byzantine basilica, which was called "Holy Zion". According to the testimony of John the Theologian, the Most Holy Mother of God lived and rested here. It is believed that the first sanctuary was erected on this site as part of the Last Supper and the indulgence of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on Pentecost.
It was destroyed twice by Persians (seventh century) and Muslims (thirteenth century). Restored by local residents, and then the crusaders. But the heyday of the monastery, which today is among the abbeys, falls on the end of the nineteenth century.
After many centuries of Muslim rule over this territory, during the significant visit of Emperor Wilhelm II to Palestine, the Benedictine order buys a piece of land for one hundred and twenty thousand marks in gold from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdul-Hamid II.
From now on, diligent construction begins here, which was developed by the German brothers from the Catholic order. The architect was Heinrich Renard. He planned to build a church similar to the Carolingian cathedral in Aachen. It is noteworthy that, based on the German tradition in construction, the masters introduced Byzantine and modern Muslim elements in the Monastery of the Assumption of Our Lady.
Today it isThe sanctuary is in the possession of the German Society of the Holy Land. Its president is the Archbishop of Cologne.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem bears many names and titles, but they are all one way or another a reflection of one thought. The shrine rises on the spot where the Son of God was crucified. It was here that he resurrected. The annual ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire takes place in this temple.
The place where Jesus Christ suffered, died and rose again has always been revered by believers. The memory of him did not disappear after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and after several years of existence on this site of the temple of Venus, which was built under Hadrian.
Only in the year 325, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who during her lifetime was called Flavia Augusta (at baptism Elena), and after canonization was named Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena, began the construction of a Christian church.
For a year, a church was laid on this site. It was built next to the Bethlehem Basilica under the leadership of Macarius. During the work, a whole complex of buildings was built - from the temple-mausoleum to the crypt. It is noteworthy that this monumental composition is mentioned on the famous Madaba map, which dates back to the fifth century.
The Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem was first consecrated during the reign of Constantine the Great in the personal presence of the emperor. Since the year 335, a significant event has been celebrated on this day - the Renewal of the Temple (September 26).
It is noteworthy that around 1009 Caliph al-Hakim transfers ownership of the church to the Nestorians, partially destroyingbuilding. When rumors of the incident reached Western Europe, it was one of the main reasons for the crusades.
In the middle of the twelfth century, the Templars rebuild the temple complex. The Romanesque style of the building can be seen today in the New Jerusalem Church near Moscow, which we will talk about later.
In the sixteenth century, an earthquake significantly spoiled the appearance of the shrine. The chapel has become a little lower, that is, the way it looks today. In addition, the destruction affected the Kuvuklia. The buildings were restored by Franciscan monks.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher today
As we mentioned earlier, the most popular place of pilgrimage in the Middle East is Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (whose photo is located below) attracts millions of believers to church holidays. After all, it is here that the Holy Fire descends every year. Although this ceremony is broadcast by most channels online, many people prefer to see the miracle with their own eyes.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, there was a fire in the temple, and part of Anastasis burned down, damage also affected the cuvuklia. The premises were quickly restored, but after a century it became obvious that the church needed restoration. The end of the first stage of work was prevented by the Second World War, so the final touches stretched right up to 2013.
For half a century, a major restoration of the entire complex, the rotunda and the dome was carried out.
Today the temple includes the place of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Golgotha), the cuvuklia and the rotunda overher (there was a crypt where the body of the Son of God lay until he was resurrected), as well as the Church of the Finding of the Cross, Katholikon, the Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Helena and a number of aisles.
Today, the temple unites representatives of six denominations that share its territory and have their own worship hours. These include the Ethiopian, Coptic, Catholic, Syriac, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches.
An interesting fact is the following. In order to avoid ill-considered consequences of conflicts between different confessions, the key to the temple is in one Muslim family (Jude), and only a member of another Arab family (Nuseibe) has the right to open the door. This tradition was started back in 1192 and is still honored.
New Jerusalem Monastery
"New Jerusalem" has long been the dream of many rulers of the Moscow principality. Boris Godunov planned its construction in Moscow, but his project remained unfulfilled.
For the first time the temple in New Jerusalem appears in the time of Patriarch Nikon. In 1656, he founded a monastery, which was supposed to copy the entire complex of the holy sights of Palestine. Today, the address of the temples is as follows - the city of Istra, Sovetskaya street, house 2.
Before construction began, the village of Redkina and nearby forests were located on the site of the temple. In the course of the work, the hill was strengthened, trees were cut down, and all topographical names were changed to evangelical ones. Now the hills of Olivet, Zion and Tabor have appeared. The Istra River was henceforth called the Jordan. Resurrection Cathedral, which was built in the second half of the seventeenth century,repeats the composition of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
From the first thought of Patriarch Nikon and subsequently, this place enjoyed the special disposition of Alexei Mikhailovich. Sources mention that it was he who first called the complex "New Jerusalem" at the consecration of the latter.
There was a significant library collection here, as well as pupils of the music and poetry school. After the disgrace of Nikon, the monastery falls into some decline. Things improved significantly after Fyodor Alekseevich, who was a student of the exiled patriarch, came to power.
Thus, today we went on a virtual tour of several of the most famous temple complexes in Jerusalem, and also visited the New Jerusalem Temple in the Moscow region.
Good luck to you, dear readers! May your impressions be bright and your travels interesting.
