Authority over the Temple Mount

I recently read that Arabs are the owners of the Temple Mount and that Jews merely visitors.   I cannot claim the veracity of the claim, but the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, which is an Islamic religious organization, oversees and manages the civil dimensions of the Temple Mount.  Following the 1948 War, Jordan gained control of the area.  In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel took possession of the mount, but allowed the Waqf to have control over the area, which presently has the financial support of Jordan.  The Jerusalem Grand Mufti oversees religious dimensions matters and Israeli police protect the mount. 

This area has been under the control of various peoples, nations, and kings: 1) Canaanite, Israeli, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottoman, British, and Jordanian.  

That leaves open the door of possibility: the authority of the Temple Mount can change hands. 

Picture from 2017 Israel Trip

What has Oman to do with Israel?

Oman's Foreign Affairs Secretary General, Sayyid al-Busaidi, said Arab states need to accept the fact that Israel is a reality in the region.  Speaking this weekend at the 4th Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome, he said,

We are all part of one region and we have to come to terms with that reality. The only way to really reach a situation of a sustainable degree of stability is that we have to reach one another and talk and translate that talk into concrete action….It is good to turn an enemy into a friend. *

If Oman established diplomatic relations with Israel, they will join a growing number of other Arab states that have shown an openness to Israel, nations such as Saudi Arabia and Chad.  Several Islamic nations already acknowledge the state of Israel such as Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.  However, a number of Arab nations do not presently accept Israel such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, though Iran, Qatar, and even Oman at one time did endorse Israel.  For more information see Israel International Relations: International Recognition of Israel.     

Buena Vista Images/Getty Images

What has Rome and Tehran to do with Jerusalem?

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to have called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that was established by Western countries after World War II.  Although Iranian leaders have condemned Israel in the past, and even called for her destruction, Rouhani rarely uses such strong rhetoric.  However, at the 32^nd Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Rouhani called upon Muslins throughout the world to unite and stand against the United States and Israel.   The theme of the conference was “Quds, Axis of Unity among Ummah” or Jerusalem: Center of Unity among Community.  A video of Rouhani speech can be found here.      

Now compare Tehran with Rome.  In 2000, Pope John Paul II prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and asked forgiveness for the sufferings of Jews caused by Christians over the centuries.  

God of our fathers,
you chose Abraham and his descendants
to bring your name to the nations
we are deeply saddened
by the behaviour of those
who in the course of history
have caused these children of yours
to suffer,
and asking your forgiveness
we wish to commit ourselves
to genuine brotherhood
with the people of the covenant.

On 2009, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Jerusalem as the spiritual home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.   He prayed,

God of all the ages, on my visit to Jerusalem, the 'City of Peace', spiritual home to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, I bring before you the joys, the hopes and the aspirations, the trials, the suffering and the pain of all your people throughout the world. 

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hear the cry of the afflicted, the fearful, the bereft; send your peace upon this Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of all who call upon your name, to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion.

In 2014, Pope Francis prayed the Our Father at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Pope Francis praying the Our Father at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Pope John Paul II's prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem 

Recent discovery likely supports existance of First Jewish Temple

A recent discovery near the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem provides yet another piece of evidence that the mount is the location of the ancient Jewish temples.  The artifact identified with ancient Hebrew letters that spell the word  “beka” is believed to be a counter weight used to measure the half-shekel tax (EX 38:26).  A video featuring Archaeologist Eli Shukron can be found here.  These types of discoveries add to the growing amount of evidence that argues for the Temple Mount as being the location of the first and second Jewish temples.  The importance of the Temple Mount and its relationship with the Jewish temples is becoming more popular as can be seen in a coming convention to be held at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem on Dec. 5, 2018.  

See Temple Mount 18 Jerusalem Convention for more details.  

The Beka weight which was found in soil from the Western Wall foundations. (Ir David Foundation) 

Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, Israel

Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, Israel

November 1, 2018 -- Snake exits the Western Wall

On November 1, 2018, a snake emerged from the Western Wall of the Temple Mount near the women's prayer area.  It was removed safely.  It was a coin-marked snake, which is common in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southern Europe.  Its appearance startled a pigeon, which then flew away, and surprised a number of individuals near the wall.  As is the case of other natural occurrences at the Temple Mount, this unusual event led some to speculate as to its meaning.  For a cautious response to one interpretation that attempts to link the event with biblical prophecy, see Ben Witherington blog entitled Why Some Folks Think Evangelicals are Nuts.    

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Snake Emerges from Western Wall

There are a number of videos online that captured the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLXUCcYtEwo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VklAwVwTdpI

https://www.timesofisrael.com/snake-emerges-from-western-wall-cracks-halting-prayers/