Jerusalem's Historical Sites Are not All From the Days of Jesus

Historians will tell you that all that remains today of the second temple in Jerusalem is the western wall of the temple court. Actually, the Western Wall or Wailing Wall that is found today was built after the destruction of Jerusalem. It is not really the "Western Wall". Other traditional historical sites such as the upper room, eastern gate, and Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem are incorrect. Even the "old city" is not the Jerusalem from the time of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were rebuilt after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Jesus Said Not One Stone Would Be Left Upon Another in the Temple

In Matthew 24:1-2 we find, "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Luke 21:5-6 reads, "And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Really this would suggest that even the foundations would be torn up.

Jesus Also Said Not One Stone Would Be Left Upon Another in Jerusalem

Scholars stop with the temple itself and assume that other parts of the city remained. Another passage, however, is more specific and gives us a much better idea of what actually happened. In Luke 19:37, Jesus was at the Mount of Olives. In verse 41, he beheld the city of Jerusalem and wept over it. Then he said:

Jesus was talking about Jerusalem. If the name of Jerusalem is substituted for the pronouns it would read:

Matthew 24 was a follow up to the prophecy about Jerusalem in Luke 19.

Micah Prophesied That Jerusalem Would Be Plowed as a Field

Before Jesus was born a greater prophecy was given.

Micah 3:
10	They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity
11	The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
12	Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

Plowing the city would tear down every wall and turn up every stone even in pavement. In Jeremiah 26:18 the princes and all the people quoted this prophecy. This was done to the second temple and Jerusalem. When the first temple was destroyed this was not done. Lamentations 1:3-4 says, "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness." Chapter 2 verse 9 adds, "Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD." In Lamentations 2:11, 12, 19, 21, 4:1, 5, 8, 14 and 18 we see the streets referenced. Lamentations 4:1 says, "How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street." Lamentations 5:2 says, "Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens." Nehemiah 1:3 says, "And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire." Deuteronomy 28:52 warned, "And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee."  The gates and high walls of Jerusalem would come down.  After Jerusalem had been taken the first time the gates were broken and had sunk down but there they were still there. They were torn down instead by the Romans at a later date. There were still streets and some houses were standing after the Babylonians were finished but not after the Romans were done. The walls were broken down but not plowed as a field. Micah 3:12 had not been fulfilled as the gates, while burnt, still stood. Secular history teaches that the emperor Hadrian plowed Jerusalem in 135 AD and even had coins minted to show this. Every building and paved street in Jerusalem today was not there in Jesus' day.

The Western Wall Was Built After the Destruction of Jerusalem

The temple was part of Jerusalem. It was not outside the city. The Bible tells us:

1. 1 Chronicles 6:10 And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)
2. Ezra 5:14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
3. Ezra 5:15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
4. Ezra 6:5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
5. Psalm 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
6. Daniel 5:2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
7. Daniel 5:3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
8. Mark 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
9. Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
10. Mark 11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
11. Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
12. Acts 22:17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

If Jerusalem was laid even with the ground and not one stone was left upon another, the wall that is at the temple mount today was not a part of Jerusalem in Jesus' day. Furthermore, for one stone not to be left on another then the bottom stones would have to be pulled up. If the building were just dropped the bottom stones could not be pulled up. The top stones and walls would have to be put in another place other than above the foundation. Therefore where the pile of stones is the temple mount was not. It appears the scholars are digging in a trash pile. When the Waqf has dug below the so-called temple mount what have they found? They have found trash.

Jesus Did not Use the Upper Room Found in Jerusalem Today

Jesus celebrated the passover the night before he was crucified. Now called the Lord's supper, this was held in a location often called the upper room.

7	Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
8	And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
9	And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
10	And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
11	And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
12	And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.

Jerusalem tour guides have shown people upper rooms in the city and said it was the place where Jesus and his apostles held the last supper. However, because the upper room was in Jerusalem, we know that it was destroyed when the Romans ruined city. Any location you are shown today is a fake.

The Disciples Did not Gather Together in any Other Upper Room That Exists Now

Yes, there was another upper room in Jerusalem. It was where the apostles waited for the Holy Spirit of God to come. Acts 1:12-13 says, Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. Jerusalem tour guides have shown this room to people as well, but the like the location of the last supper it was destroyed long ago.

The Eastern Gate is not From the Ancient Temple or City

Ezekiel 44:1-4 says, "Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face." Tourists to the city visit what the guides tell them is this gate and are told nobody has entered into it. It is shut and waiting for the Messiah to enter. What they won't tell you is that Ezekiel 44 refers to the second temple not the third temple. See The Third Temple. As part of the second temple it was completely decimated during the days of Emperor Vespasian reigned. Read more on Vespasian at Wikipedia. This is another location where scholars, pastors and tour guides are passing ignorance along to the masses.

The Via Dolorosa Is a Fake

Via Dolorosa is thought to be the street or path Jesus walked on his way to die on the cross for our sins. To read more see Via Dolorosa (Wikipedia). It was part of the Old City of Jerusalem which means it was completely destroyed. Even if the buildings were still standing there is not a way to know which path Jesus took. To say you know is a lie. The buildings along the route may be very old but they are not the ones Jesus walked by.

The Temple Location Does Not Match Scripture

There is no guarantee the Jews would leave behind a perfect description of the temple location knowing the Romans would come in and plunder the temple. Why not hide it? What is left today was built after the second destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the third destruction in 135 AD. Everything was destroyed. Nothing was left in order. A heap was left. On this Hadrian built Aelia Capitolina (Encyclopedia Britannica). Jeremiah 30:18 says, "Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof." Jeremiah 9:11 prophesied, "Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof." The temple mount today is built on a heap. Heaps are mentioned in Psalm 79:1. The current mount where the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock are located is not a mountain. The Bible uses the Hebrew word har for mountain. The Al-Aqsa sits on what could be called a hill, or in Hebrew, givah. It could well be called a heap or iy (Hebrew). 2 Kings 21:13 prophesied, "And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down." The result is, a heap.

The temple mount is on a mountain not a hill. Addressing Jerusalem, Ezekiel 24:7-8 says she is set upon the top of a rock. The passage in Ezekiel chapters 40-46 is about the second temple not the Third Temple. In it Ezekiel 43:12 says the top of the mountain (har) is most holy. The Al-Aqsa site is a hill (givah) or a heap (iy). Perhaps they should look at the top of the mountain in the Romema district. Psalm 68:15 says, "The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan." The actual word used is mountain (har) not hill (givah). The translators appear to have succumbed to the belief that the temple was located in the same location as Aelia Capitolina. Since this location is a hill at best, God's people should be looking for the temple mount at the top of the mountain. Haggai 1:8 says to go up to the mountain not down on a hill. Zechariah 4:7 starts with, "Who art thou, O great mountain?"

People went up to the temple. Isaiah 37:14 says Hezekiah went up to the temple. In Luke 18:10, "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican." 2 Chronicles 9:2-4 says, "And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her." Solomon went up to the temple not down and so did the people.

Northern Jerusalem is a good structural location. The Al-Aqsa site is not. 2 Chronicles 3:4 says, "And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold." The cubit here is the royal cubit or about 20.6 inches. This works out to about 206 feet. The building material in use for the porch would be stone weighing about 165 pounds per cubic foot. A non-tapered column without added loads of any roof or doors would put 34,000 pounds per square foot bearing pressure on the ground. 2 Chronicles 29:7 says the porch had doors. This would have to bear on solid rock which does not appear to be found at the current temple mount. If not, it would require deep foundations which do not show today in the ruins.

Northern Jerusalem is a good visual location. A temple with a porch over 200 feet high would be far more visible in northern Jerusalem at an elevation around 2720 feet above sea level than the Dome of the Rock at 2440 feet above sea level. It would be visible from outside Jerusalem.

The temple should be on the sides of the north. Jeremiah 20:2 says, "Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD." Benjamin was towards the north of Jerusalem. The sides of the north in Jerusalem rise far more than the south. The north side is much steeper. This gate was near the temple. This would suggest the temple is in the north side of Jerusalem. Why would a temple be built near the undesirable places of Jerusalem? On the other hand, if the temple was built first, why let people start dumping or burning trash near the temple. Ezekiel 9:2 says, "And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar." They came in on the north side and went to the temple. This this suggests the temple was in the north of Jerusalem. Psalm 48:2 says, "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King."

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