What is the Temple Mount?:
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem (known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary) is the most famous and contested piece of religious real estate in the world. It’s the past site of Jewish temples and the current site of one of Islam’s holiest mosques. Jews and/or Muslims believe this is where: Cain murdered Abel (in a dispute who would own the location, according to one Jewish tradition), Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac; King David first erected an altar to God; Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Where is the Temple Mount?:
The Jewish temples were constructed on a high, flat rock on the eastern side of Jerusalem. It is right next to the eastern wall of Jerusalem and looks out over the Kidron valley and the Mount of Olives. According to the biblical accounts, Solomon's Temple might have been 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet wide on the inside. The Bible also indicates that large numbers of people were conscripted into manual labor service in order to complete the massive project.
Why is the Temple Mount important?:
Today the site where the Temple was built, known as the Temple Mount, is occupied by two Muslim mosques built during the centuries of Muslim control of the city. The dome of one mosque, the Dome of the Rock, is believed to be right over the Holy of Holies of the Jewish temples.
Control of the site is a hotly contested issue for Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem. Many devout Jews would like to see the mosques torn down and the Temple reconstructed in their place, but because this would destroy one of the holiest sites in all of Islam it would lead to a religious war of unprecedented proportions.
