Leen Ritmeyer and the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:38:55 -0500

Newly uncovered stones support ideas of original temple

The eastern wall of the Temple Mount receives less attention than its western counterpart. The latter, known almost universally as the Wailing Wall, is used as a synagogue and is the closest Jews can come to the site of the Temple. The eastern wall, facing the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives, appears in numerous photos of the Temple Mount but is seldom a focus of attention. Leen Ritmeyer, however, presented a paper on this topic at the ASOR conference currently being conducted in New Orleans.

Ritmeyer, an architect employed by the late Israeli archaeologist Benjamin Mazar, has taken an avid interest in the walls surrounding the Temple Mount. In the eastern wall, he has identified the stones that remain of three periods: Herodian, Hasmonean and Iron Age. Most of those relating to the Iron Age are foundation stones and have at some times been below ground level. These were the focus of his current presentation.

In earlier publications, Ritmeyer had postulated the existence of a 500-cubit-square platform which he associated with the first temple, destroyed by the Babylonians in 587-6 BCE. Of significant interest to him were stones recently uncovered as a result of grave excavations. To Ritmeyer, the presence and location of these Iron Age stones highlight the validity of his claim to a 500-cubit platform dating to that period.

Leen Ritmeyer has a blog which contains supporting material.

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Leen Ritmeyer and the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount