We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on our web pages. We share images and information with Wikipedia. We also donate to Wikipedia, & would suggest that others do the same. We entered the Old City of Jerusalem through the Dung Gate (also known as Sha'ar Ha'ashpot, Gate of Silwan, Mughrabi Gate, which is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Dung Gate is located near the southeast corner of the old city, to the southwest of the Temple Mount. The Dung Gate is the closest gate to the Western Wall and it is a main passage for vehicles. The Dung Gate was originally much smaller, but it was enlarged in 1952, after the Old City came under Jordanian control in 1948. After Jerusalems capture by Israel in 1967, architect Shlomo Aronson was commissioned to renovate this gate. Directly behind the gate lies the entrance to the Western Wall compound. The name Sha'ar Ha'ashpot appears in the Book of Nehemiah:3:13-14. It is probably named after the residue that was taken from the Jewish Temple into the Valley of Hinnom, where it was burned. This ancient "Dung Gate" may not have been in the same location as the modern gate. The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew (and in Judaism) as Har haBáyit, and in Arabic (and in Islam) as the Haram al-Sharif, is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years. At least four religions are known to have used the Temple Mount: Judaism, Christianity, Roman religion, and Islam. Biblical scholars have often identified it with two biblical mountains of uncertain location: Mount Moriah where the binding of Isaac took place, and Mount Zion where the original Jebusite fortress stood; however, both interpretations are disputed. Judaism regards the Temple Mount as the place where God chose the divine presence to rest (Isa 8:18); according to the rabbinic sages whose debates produced the Talmud, it was from here the world expanded into its present form and where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam. The site is also the location of Abraham's binding of Isaac. According to the Bible, two Jewish Temples stood at the Temple Mount, however no evidence for the first temple has ever been found. According to the Hebrew Bible, the First Temple, was Solomon's Temple, also known as the Holy Temple (Bet HaMikdash) in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount. After the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II is said to have had the First Temple destroyed. However, there has never been any direct archaeological evidence ever found, for the existence of Solomon's Temple, & no mention of Solomon's Temple, in any of the surviving contemporary extra-biblical literature. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn towards during prayer. Due to its extreme sanctity, most Jews will not walk upon the Temple Mount itself, to avoid unintentionally entering the area where the Holy of Holies once stood, since according to Rabbinical law, some aspect of the divine presence is still present at the site. It was from the Holy of Holies that the High Priest communicated directly with God. According to the Bible the Temple Mount should function as the center of all national life—a governmental, judicial and, of course, religious center (Deut 12:5-26; 14:23-25; 15:20; 16:2-16; 17:8-10; 26: 2; 31: 11; Isa 2: 2-5; Oba 1:21; Psa 48). The Second Temple was constructed under the auspices of Zerubbabel in 516 BCE and then destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE. During the Second Temple period it functioned also as an economical center. From that location the word of God went out to all nations, and that is the site where all prayers are focused. According to Jewish tradition and scripture (2 Chronicles 3:1-2), the first temple was built by Solomon the son of David in 957 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second was constructed under the auspices of Zerubbabel in 516 BCE and destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE. Jewish tradition maintains it is here the Third and final Temple will also be built. Among Sunni Muslims, the Mount is widely considered the third holiest site in Islam. Revered as the Noble Sanctuary (Bait-ul-Muqaddas) and the location of Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, the site is also associated with Jewish biblical prophets who are also venerated in Islam. After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 CE, Umayyad Caliphs commissioned the construction of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock on the site. The Dome was completed in 692 CE, making it one of the oldest extant Islamic structures in the world, after the Kaabah. The Al Aqsa Mosque rests on the far southern side of the Mount, facing Mecca. The Dome of the Rock currently sits in the middle, occupying or close to the area where the Bible mandates the Holy Temple be rebuilt. Jewish tradition maintains that a Third & Final Temple will also be built upon theTemple Mount . Mainstream Orthodox Judaism's view of the rebuilding of the Temple, is generally left to the coming of the Jewish Messiah and to Divine Providence. The Third Temple, or Ezekiel's Temple (Hebrew, Beit haMikdash haShlishi), is considered a Jewish Holy Temple architecturally described and prophesied in the Book of Ezekiel, a house of prayer for all people with a sacrificial service. It is noted by Ezekiel as an eternal edifice and permanent dwelling place of the God of Israel on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Dung Gate (also known as Sha'ar Ha'ashpot, Gate of Silwan, Mughrabi Gate, is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The gate is situated near the southeast corner of the old city, southwest of the Temple Mount. The gate is the closest to the Western Wall and is a main passage for vehicles. It was originally much smaller, but was enlarged in 1952, after the Old City came under Jordanian control in 1948. After its capture by Israel in 1967, architect Shlomo Aronson was commissioned to renovate this gate. Directly behind the gate lies the entrance to the Western Wall compound. The name Sha'ar Ha'ashpot appears in the Book of Nehemiah:3:13-14. It is probably named after the residue that was taken from the Jewish Temple into the Valley of Hinnom, where it was burned. The ancient Sha'ar Ha'ashpot, "Dung Gate" may not have been in the same location as the modern day "Dung Gate." We left the Old City of Jerusalem through the Chain Gate, (Arabic Bab al-Silsileh, Hebrew Shaar HaShalshelet), located on the western flank, which is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. It may have been the location of the Coponius Gate which existed during the Second Temple period. We left the Temple Mount and walked through the Ophel Archeological Garden below the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount. The Ophel Archeological Garden reveals 2,500 years of Jerusalem's history in 25 layers of ruins from the structures of successive rulers. We passed by many remnants of a complex of the royal palaces, of the 7th century Muslim period, which have been excavated. We also viewed the ancient staircase and the Hulda Gate, through which worshippers entered the Second Temple compound.

The easy way to get to Temple Mount, or Har haBáyit, Jerusalem, Israel, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is at the junction of the Haifa, Jerusalem, Dan, and Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.