Historical First: Solomon's Temple Open to the Public

Teresa Neumann : Jun 30, 2011
Drew Zahn - World Net Daily

"It shows that the Bible is real. It shows that 2,000 and 3,000 years ago, Jerusalem was the center of the world. And we love to share that with the world." -Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat

(Israel)—For the first time in modern history, the ruins of King Solomon's Temple are open to the public. As reported in World Net Daily, the Ophel City Wall site—a complex of buildings which predates the Wailing Wall—was inaugurated earlier this week.

"Beginning today, visitors will actually be able to walk through First Temple remains, touch the stones, enjoy and study about yet another period of the archeology of the city of Jerusalem," said Jacob Fisch, executive director of the Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"The reality was that a very highly skilled fortification and sophisticated fortification was built by King Solomon," said Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "We are really lucky to reveal this fortification, and this is only part of it. It's very impressive. When it becomes tangible, it becomes easier to believe in their ways what's written in the Bible." (Photo courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority)

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, reportedly attended the inauguration and pronounced that every effort would be made to "expose every piece of Jewish history."

"It shows that the Bible is real," said Barkat. "It shows that 2,000 and 3,000 years ago, Jerusalem was the center of the world. And we love to share that with the world."

According to the report, "Architecture exposed at the site includes the building thought to be the Water Gate's gate house, a pair of rooms believed to be from the Second Temple period (first century B.C.) a section of a tower and the city wall itself and a number of mikvaot—ritual baths where pilgrims to the Temple would have purified themselves before entering. In addition, a royal complex was unearthed, where excavators found dozens of large clay pots of various sizes."