Die Tempelanlage in Jerusalem von Salomo bis ... - Erwin Reidinger

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Summary
Problem:
Reconstruction of Herod’s and Solomon’s Temple building. Detailed structural and
astronomical analysis of the location and orientation of the Temple with the aim to
find out the date of the foundation.
Basis:
Survey plan from 1942, Scale 1 : 625, (Survey of Israel, Institute for Geodesy, Mapping
and Geographic Information, Tel-Aviv)
Results:
Herod’s Temple: The outline of the Temple Mount platform is a quadrilateral, which was
marked out from rectangular axis lines (cf. fig.10, 11 and 14). The east-west axis is perpendicular
to the eastern side, with the intersection exactly in the middle of the latter, and
runs through the Holy Rock (spire of the Dome of the Rock). This axis also corresponds
with the Temple axis. The lengths of the east side and of the south side are remarkable,
both showing round values of 250 and 150 fathoms resp. (1 fathom = 1,862 m).
Solomon’s Temple: The juncture of Solomon’s structure with that of Herod is the kink in
the eastern wall, located 250 cubits (1 cubit = 0,52 m) north of the middle of this side
(Temple axis; cf. fig.16). This point corresponds with the north-east corner of the plot of
500 x 500 cubits (cf. fig.19). The Temple axis is axis of symmetry.
Location of the Temple: The Temple was situated on the Holy Rock. This can be derived
from the artificially produced rock edge which can be regarded as an “imprint” of the
Temple (foundation level; cf. fig. 21 to 23).
Orientation of the Temple: The astronomical analysis of the Temple axis showed that
there were corresponding dates of sunrises, which can be understood as absolute timemarks
left in the building. The orientation at the Feast of the Passover 957 BCE would
speak for a new construction (cf. footnote 32), an orientation at the Yom Kippur 515
BCE (year of the consecration of the second Temple, cf. footnote 40) for the establishment
or deferment of this feast. Figures 27 and 29 show the named dates of sunrises in
the Temple axis. The result of the astronomical analysis is generally valid, also for any
parallel location in the area of the Temple Mount platform.
Erwin F. Reidinger Vienna, July 2005