Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem The book Jerusalem Explored , which has many images of the old Temple and the modern (“modern” meaning the 1860s), can be found at Gutenberg.
The most famous and most wonderful building in Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. It was built by Mohammed as a mosque in the year 698. For them it is almost as sacred as the Kaaba in Mecca. It stands on the spot where the Temple of Solomon once stood — in the center of a great square that covers one-sixth of the entire area of Jerusalem. (CC BY 2.0 ©2008 Chad Rosenthal)
The Dome of the Rock was built to protect the Rock pictured here. (CC BY-SA 4.0 ©2018 Virtutepetens)
Upon this rough granite slab Abraham prepared to sacrifice young Isaac. Also the Mohammedans believe that Mohammed was brought to this Rock on a winged horse from Mecca. They point out the hollows in the Rock and say these are the huge footprints left by the winged horse. The round hole at upper left penetrates to a small cave, known as the “Well of Souls”, below. (public domain)
Some years ago, when Jerusalem was part of Turkey, a group of English treasure hunters, believing that Solomon’s treasures were buried beneath Abraham’s Rock, bribed the Turkish guard to let them enter the Mosque at night and dig beneath the sacred Rock. The diggers carried the loose earth in baskets across the courtyard and dumped it over the wall. They were soon found out by the Moslem priests, and had to flee for their lives. The Turkish guard was caught and stoned to death. You can see the Dome today amidst the busy city of Jerusalem. (CC BY-SA 2.0 ©2007 Dan)
Bottom of the Foundation Stone, from the Well of Souls— the cave under the great rock. (CC BYSA 4.0 ©2014 Yaron1m)
