In Jerusalem

 Fourth Monday of Easter

Lectionary Texts:

Acts 6

John 13:31-35

Psalm 22:25-31 (UMH 752)

Jerusalem is the site of major shrines for three different religions. The Western Wall (what some Christians call the Wailing Wall) is simply a stone wall that rises about 60 feet in the air on the western side of the Temple Mount, from ground level up to and slightly higher than the Temple Mount itself. It is the holiest shrine in Judaism.

It is the only remaining part of the Herodian Temple. After the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 586 B.C., the Temple was rebuilt by Jews returning from the Babylonian Exile beginning in 515 and completed in 510 B.C. This Second Temple was a poor image of the first. Solomon used his great wealth to built one of the greatest structures of the period (10th century B.C.). The returning exiles of the late sixth century had been slaves. They had no wealth. The Second Temple reflected their poverty.

King Herod the Great of Judea and Idumea (ruled 37 B.C.-4 B.C.) began a vast building project to redo the Second Temple exactly as Solomon's Temple had been. We have detailed descriptions of Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings. Herod's project began in 19B.C. and went long past his lifetime. The Herodian Temple was not completed until 62 A.D.  It was in progress during the entire lifetime of Jesus. It was destroyed only eight years after its completion, in 70 A.D., by the Roman General Titus at the climax of the First Jewish War against the Romans (66-73 A.D.). The Roman destruction left only the western wall of the outer court of the Temple intact. It soon became the major shrine of Judaism. Thousands of Jews (and gentiles) pray there everyday. 

When you go there, men will be given a yarmulke (skullcap) to wear at the wall. You will be directed, men on one side, women on the other of a dividing line screen. Many people write prayers on little pieces of paper and put them in the cracks between the rocks of the wall. I've done this every time I've been there. The prayers are collected once a month and taken south a couple of miles to part of an archaeological site called the City of David, where they are buried. 

A second major shrine is the Dome of the Rock sits atop the Temple Mount about in the middle. At the south end is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest shrine in Islam. It is a beautiful golden dome shaped building built over a rock outcropping, which is said to be the place where Abraham was about the slaughter his son in Genesis 22. It is also the place from which the Prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended into heaven for his "Night Journey." He landed the next morning in Mecca.

I have been privileged to go into the Dome of the Rock on my first three trips to Jerusalem. Non-Muslims are no longer allowed to go inside. While the Rock itself, a flat stone outcropping dominates the inside space, the walls are spectacular Arabesque art with beautiful, intricate abstract designs. 

The Muslim Arabs conquered Jerusalem in 632 A.D. Construction of the Dome of the Rock was completed in 687 A.D. The Arabs went on the conquer the entire Latin Christian civilization of North Africa, from Egypt to Morocco over the course of the seventh century, going on to conquer much of Spain. 

Crusaders from Europe conquered Jerusalem in 1099 A.D. and ruled it until 1187. Thy converted the Dome of the Rock into a church. In 1187 the Muslim Seljuk Turks under their leader Saladin recaptured all the Holy Land. They turned the Dome of the Rock back into a Muslim shrine. 

When Israel defeated the Arabs in the Six Day War of 1967, they took Jerusalem. For the first time in 2,000 years they were allowed to pray again at the Western Wall.  They allowed the Muslims to keep control of the Temple Mount (called Haram Al-Sharif in Arabic) and its Dome of the Rock. 

Next Monday we'll talk about what should be considered the holiest shrine in Christendom, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, although most western Christians don't know about it all. 

O Holy One of all holy places,

We give you thank for the city of Jerusalem and pray for peace there. Amen.

Faithfully

Christian