The “Wailing Wall”…the remains of the temple?
You may have heard that the “Wailing Wall”, or the Western Wall, is what remains of the second temple that was around when Yeshua came, and has been a source of conflict for many years. However is this true? or have we been deceived into believing such?
The “Wailing Wall” is actually the Western Wall of Fort Antonia. The true Temple was located over the Gihon Spring on the southeast ridge of Jerusalem in the city of David.
Those who claim that the Western wall is that of the Temple, or that the temple mount is where the Holy of Holies was, are gravely mistaken, and calling Yeshua a liar, as Yeshua prophesied that the Temple would be completely thrown down:
Matthew 24:1And going out, יהושע went away from the Set-apart Place, and His taught ones came near to point out to Him the buildings of the Set-apart Place.
2And יהושע said to them, “Do you not see all these? Truly, I say to you, NOT ONE STONE SHALL BE LEFT here upon another, at all, which shall not be thrown down.”(ISR 98)
Below, are two pictures that go over the correct dimensions, and layout of the Fortress Antonia, as well as the Temple, from the dimensions and descriptions that Josephus gave, he also states the following concerning the destruction of the temple from 70AD: (picrel)
In Book 7, Ch. 1 of ‘The Wars of the Jews’, Josephus writes,” Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many towers standing as were the greatest eminency….”
If you notice where the Praetorium is, that is currently where the Dome of the Rock is, and directly beneath is a large oblong shaped rock, that would not have been suitable for the Temple to be. Also, the Temple had to have fresh water nearby, and so was over the Gihon spring. Also, according to Acts 21, you can see in the diagram where Paul would have stood on the steps in between the Temple and the Fortress, where those in the Fortress claimed to be able to look down into the temple courts.
The diagram that they have at the Jewish museum depicts a much smaller fortress, only to hold about 300-600 men, however, the Fortress Antonia was to hold a legion, which was equivalent to a small city, and hold 6,000 men.
I have also come across an interesting documentary done by Bob Cornuke in 2017, that explores archaeological evidence to support that the temple was over a natural water source being the Gihon Spring, in the city of David.
https://apearlinthevineyard.com/the-wailing-wall-the-remains-of-the-temple/