New Research Reveals True Location of Temple Mount and Foundation Stone
A groundbreaking new book by Rabbi Barak Shargai, titled 'Noy Olam,' challenges long-held beliefs about the location of the Temple Mount, the Foundation Stone (Even HaShtiya), and the Holy of Holies. Drawing from biblical verses, Talmudic sources, early rabbinic commentaries, and meticulous field research, Shargai demonstrates that the Foundation Stone was not part of the natural bedrock but a movable stone placed in the Holy of Holies during the era of the early prophets. He cites Maimonides and other early authorities who describe the stone in the past tense, indicating it no longer exists in its original form.
Shargai also disputes the common identification of the Temple's site with the Dome of the Rock's location at the summit of the Temple Mount. He references Talmudic tradition from Tractate Zevachim, which states that King David and Samuel chose a site lower than the mountain's peak, on its southern slope, consistent with interpretations by Rashi, Ramban, and others. This view is supported by historical and geographical evidence, including the alignment of the Altar with the Tomb of Zechariah and Absalom's Pillar in the Kidron Valley and the location of the Red Heifer's burning site on the Mount of Olives.
The book further reveals that the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque were originally Byzantine churches, later converted into mosques by Muslim rulers. Early Christian pilgrims identified the Dome of the Rock site as the Antonia Fortress, not the Temple. Josephus also described the Antonia Fortress as built on a rocky summit.
A highlight of Shargai's research is a pioneering infrared aerial survey of the Temple Mount area, which uncovered a large subterranean rectangular structure matching the dimensions of the Temple's Courtyard as described in the Mishnah. Within this structure, a smaller underground building corresponds remarkably to the shape of the Temple Sanctuary, with a broad front narrowing toward the back. These findings strongly support the author's thesis about the Temple's true location on the southern slope of the Temple Mount.
The book was published by Tzuf under Rabbi Natan Feldman's leadership and promises to reshape understanding of Jerusalem's sacred geography based on a synthesis of textual, historical, and technological evidence.
