On September 26, 2023, scores of Jewish worshippers praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem likely fixed their gaze upwards, past the ancient limestone bricks and towards the looming Dome of the Rock shrine. This Islamic shrine, with its iconic gold roof, currently occupies the spot where many Jews believe two previous temples housing the Ark of the Covenant once stood over 2,000 years ago.
While Yom Kippur drew peaceful crowds on this holiest of Jewish holidays, some Israelis harbor aspirations of one day removing the Dome of the Rock entirely to make way for a newly rebuilt Jewish temple. This temple would stand where the previous two temples housed the Ark of the Covenant until being destroyed first by Babylonian and then Roman armies.
Longing for the Third Temple
"Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem Temple" is a saying that captures the longing in some religious Zionist circles to restore Judaism‘s holiest site. While still a minority, support for rebuilding the temple has gained mainstream prominence in Israel in recent decades.
Religious Zionists who back the temple movement want to fulfill a vision that would herald the beginning of redemption, reinstating ritual sacrifices and reuniting Jewish exiles summoned back to the land of Israel. Some even believe the building of the temple could hasten the arrival of the Messiah in Jewish eschatology.
According to Rachel Elior, professor of Jewish philosophy and mysticism at Hebrew University, rebuilding remains a marginal belief among most Israeli Jews. However fringe elements have succeeded in "putting the idea of the temple into Israeli consciousness."
The 1967 Six Day War which brought Jerusalem‘s Old City and Temple Mount under Israeli control bolstered messianic Zionists who want to reclaim the mount. In a 1967 parade after the war a young Yehuda Etzion danced carrying a model of the temple, foreshadowing his leadership of a radical group decades later that plotted to bomb the Dome of the Rock.
While extremist violence targeting Islamic holy sites receives condemnation, the Temple Mount movement today largely operates above ground by lobbying the Israeli government. Many continue pushing for expanded Jewish visitation and prayer rights at the flashpoint complex housing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock shrine in Old City Jerusalem. Israeli leaders argue that religious freedom should apply to all at the site known as Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to Muslims.
Some lawmakers with Netanyahu‘s religious Zionist allies have called for building the temple but Netanyahu never adopted that demand while in power though he champions expanding prayer rights at the site.
Religious scholar Dr. Shuki Friedman at the Jewish People Policy Institute summarizes a realization taking hold among more pragmatic temple movement leaders:
“The vast majority of rabbis who deal with this issue say that currently, one should not attempt to build the Temple or offer sacrifices, due to political realities and religious doubts. Those who think otherwise represent a marginal view in religious Zionism.”
Still, the temple movement encompasses several well-funded and organized groups actively preparing based on their conviction that events will align to enable reconstruction sooner than most Israelis expect.
Oracle Bones and Faces from the Galilee: Hunting for Clues
The temple Institute founded in 1987 has crafted sacred temple vessels and priestly garments in anticipation of future sacrifices it hopes one day to reinstate. Its founder, Rabbi Chaim Richman, noted the profound loss endured by religious Jews after losing access to the temple:
“One can‘t begin to fathom the spiritual devastation that has befallen the Jewish people till this very day, from the loss of our Temple. There is an ongoing, collective, historical crisis of the Jewish spirit that has been with us since the Temple‘s destruction.”
The institute aims to reverse this crisis, taking a practical approach to building institutional momentum based on traditional religious law. It has partnered with mainstream national institutions like the IDF military rabbinate while its museum promotes awareness and garners donations from the Israeli public.
Some former military figures and tech innovators lend their expertise to the growing movement. Harry Moskoff, investigative archaeologist and former criminal intelligence analyst with the anti-terrorism unit of Canada’s federal police, leads religious educational tours in Israel.
Inspired by decoding covert intelligence, he has turned his attention to monumental puzzles like pinpointing the location of lost temple treasures. This includes the ark of the covenant, which tradition states King Josiah hid away before destruction by the Babylonians to prevent it from capture. Moskoff ‘s research suggests that the ark still lies miles below the Dome of the Rock based on detailed biblical analysis of the temple’s specifications.
Modern technology allows new entry points into ancient mysteries that captivate present-day Israelis. The Galilee-based Sheizaf studio harnesses sophisticated methods to digitally reconstruct ancient Israelite faces. Studio founder Anat Sheizaf creates models drawing on archaeological clues, historical texts, and computerized scanning. Viewing tangible representations of influential early Hebrew figures keeps otherwise abstract biblical tales alive for contemporary Jews.
“I think it’s very important to show to our children that we have forefathers. We have tradition, we have history” Sheizaf remarks on her pioneering methods. “It gives you the feeling that I belong to something.”
Israeli scientists additionally made headlines announcing last year they had successfully grown date palm plants from 2000 year old seeds excavated at Masada alongside Dead Sea scroll fragments. This links flora central to Jewish temple rituals to Judean Desert sites right before temple destruction.
Both represent the intersection of cutting edge technology with preserved antiquity around the ancient temple, merging Israel‘s celebrated Innovation Nation ethos with its celebrated ancient faith. Leveraging such discoveries to recapture lost parts of Judaism now animates Temple Mount maneuvering.
Funding the Future Temple
Pilot projects by the Temple Institute and other groups prototype components like architectural plans, vestments, and ritual incense formulas for potential renewed sacrifices pending rebuilt temples. But realizing the master plan costs more than any one nonprofit can handle alone.
The Group for the Construction of the Holy Temple enlisting departed Israeli general Shimon Daniel aims to cover projected billion-dollar plus costs by launching a viral fundraising campaign. But merely collecting donations cannot surmount arguments against violating the established status quo at the contested holy site.
Facing Formidable Obstacles
Credible polling in 2019 found 30 percent of religious Zionists support construction of a new temple, translating to between 250-300,000 out of Israel‘s total Jewish population supporting the concept. Backing rises among youth — 79 percent of religious high school pupils supported their rabbis calling for Jews to visit the Temple Mount according to a 2020 study by Molad — a progressive Israel think tank.
Despite inroads among Israel‘s observant Jewish youth, imposing structural change encountering fierce resistance over Islam‘s third holiest site remains unlikely. The Islamic Waqf endowment by current agreements holds religious custodianship over the esplanade with Muslim leaders vocally opposing Jewish prayer or Israeli excavations at the site.
Neighboring Jordan as custodian ensures Muslim authority there stays legally enshrined under the Israel-Jordan 1994 peace treaty. Any overt attempts unilaterally force building would inflame global Muslim outrage besides provoking dangerous instability in Jerusalem and beyond. Israel also jeopardizes fragile regional ties cultivating Arab allies against shared Iranian threats if changing the Temple Mount status quo.
Another barrier is disagreement among Israeli rabbis whether rebuilding could risk defiling the temple’s sanctity under present conditions. A related objection questions how proposed areas for new temple construction even qualify as part of the elevated platform mandated by some interpretations of Torah law, potentially invalidating resulting structures.
More liberal streams of Judaism moreover reject animal sacrifices as incongruous with modern values. They balk at notions the temple heralds hierarchical priestly rules that circumscribe women as occurred historically. Progressives overall dismiss religious justification for radical acts endangering peace and safety. Any illegal actions could meet security crackdowns seen against past Jewish underground militants plotting to attack the Dome of the Rock.
Plotting the Middle Way Forward
Samuel Lebens, an Orthodox rabbi and philosophy professor in the UK, advocates finding religious significance within existing constraints. He reasons that “rather than trying to change who has sovereignty over it, Jews have got to reconceive the mission of Judaism to incorporate the idea that actually Mount Moriah/Haram al-Sharif is a shared space.”
Many citizens resonate more with peace over zealotry. Still wary of provoking turmoil, a 2021 interfaith study showed most Israeli Jews feel historically connected to the Temple Mount but fewer than half supported attempts altering its status. Arab Israelis and Palestinians polled overwhelmingly opposed this. The study suggested possibilities prayer that affirms both traditions, potentially following steps by Jewish worshippers who have bowed or prostrated as close as possible to historically permitted areas without attracting confrontations.
More extremist temple movement sects counter this displays weakness reinforcing Muslim hegemony over Judaism‘s most sacred site. As their defiant march up the Temple Mount during a volatile period in 2021 showed, zealous youth heed calls for action from fringe rabbis over mainstream cautions urging patience. Their story reveals why speculation over rebuilding stokes such passions over a tiny contested corner of Jerusalem hardly measuring 35 acres.
The Soul of the City Anchored in its Stones
Both major monotheisms sanctify this plateau with names conveying its nobility and glory. It encompasses delineations between the worldly and divine realms. According to classical Jewish writings, all creation began from its very foundation stone. Biblical legends furthermore recall Abraham preparing to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice there before God‘s angel intervened.
The actual bedrock contains hollows carved out by ancient grain threshing said to absorb the blood of temple sacrifices. Traces of animal offerings thus literally infuse the mountain. For believers, redemption likewise flows from the Temple Mount outward while its stones still echo with prayers around the ages calling for restored glory.
Debate around rebuilding interweaves with even larger unsettled historical debates over rights to all Jerusalem. Despite Israel‘s self-proclaimed sovereignty since declaring the city its capital after 1967 and 1980 Knesset laws formalizing this status, Palestinians insist East Jerusalem serves as their future capital for any potential state.
The U.S., UN, and most countries have never internationally recognized Israel‘s annexation. This means legal groundwork enabling construction such as solidifying territorial claims or zoning laws that could license demolition near the Haram al-Sharif remains murky at best. Architectural plans by necessity stay preliminary without legal permission to break any ground.
Waiting for the Divine Sign
Most activists therefore concentrate on preparations fulfilling religious obligations without yet possessing means to fulfill the ultimate vision. Once worthy of divine blessing perhaps events beyond strategic lobbying will signal the opportunity.
As noted by a 2019 Christian Science Monitor analysis: supporters place themselves in a state of readiness for the day when, as prophesied in scripture, the temple descends from heaven onto the earthly Temple Mount. These believers until then focus on aligning individual lives and Israeli nationhood to undo the damage inflicted by past expulsions and persecution. There is no need to impose artificial deadlines on the realm of miracles. What unfolds instead submits to grander calendars and a higher authority.
When asked about possible timelines, some rabbis emphasize whatever moves events forward remains in God‘s hands. Many take heart seeing steps like growing acceptance of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, expanded archeological excavations, and retrieving temple-related artifacts through antiquities dealers. A future U.S. administration could even relocate America’s embassy to Jerusalem’s Old City which Palestinians again vociferously oppose.
Dov Lior, Israeli West Bank settlement rabbi previously imprisoned for controversial edicts like permitting killing non-Jews under Jewish law, commented regarding rebuilding:
"It is a mitzvah (good deed) to hasten it, but everything happens in its time…according to the way of the government or the way of the Messiah."
For most advocates, divine will determines if Judaism soon reconnects with its most sacred focal points. When asked directly about rebuilding in a 2017 interview Netanyahu succinctly summarized this outlook answering “God willing.” Until prophesied shards from heaven complete a terrestrial holy temple, work readying for its arrival continues one carved altar stone, embroidered robe, and digitally modeled Hebrew visage at a time.