The crescendo of the Old City is Temple Mount. The best panoramic view is from the upper terrace at Rabinovich Square. You will be awed while admiring one of the world’s holiest places. Here is a summary of 3,000 years. The First Temple Period (960-586 BC) began when Solomon, the son of King David, built the Temple of God to enshrine the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments tablets. It was razed during the Babylonian Siege of 587 BC. The Second Temple Period started in 538 BC when Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, invited Jews to return from their Babylonian exile. The temple was reconstructed by 516 BC. Toward the end of the era, it was extensively embellished by Herod the Great, king of Judea (37 BC – 4 BC). An estimated 10,000 workers were involved in the 46 year project. In 70 AD, the Second Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans. All that was left standing was the Western Wall. There were futile attempts to build a Third Temple during the next 567 years. In 638, the Arabs conquered Jerusalem. They named it Madinat bayt al-Maqdis meaning City of the Temple. Upon the ruins of the former temple, they built al-Aqsa Mosque. The Farthest Mosque has been rebuilt, expanded or renovated ten times. The mosque holds 5,000 worshipers and covers 12 acres. The lead dome on the left covers the Al-Qibli Chapel. Muslims believe Muhammad traveled here from Mecca during the Night Journey in 621. On the lower right is The Davidson Center, an archeological park that has revealed Second Temple artifacts. Above is the Jewish Cemetery on Mount of Olives. On top of the hill is the Rehavam Overlook (in front of the Seven Arches Hotel) where the initial photos in this travel guide were taken.
