Today I want to talk a little bit more about the Wailing Wall. On Frid
ay evening in the Old City of Jerusalem voices can be heard singing out as other voices join in devotions. The Sabbath, a holy day for the Jewish faith is beginning. The Jewish people gather before their most sacred shrine, "The Wailing Wall". This wall is the western wall of an ancient courtyard and for that reason it is also referred to as "The Western Wall." The Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 AD after the Jewish people revolted against Roman rule.The wall is the only remaining structure of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. Inside the courtyard King Solomon's glorious temple once stood. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times until only part of the western wall remained. The wall is just outside of the Temple Mount and is considered to be Judaism's holiest site.
Some of the ruins of the original temple can still be seen today. People built their houses all around the temple. On the top of the temple mount the priest would stand and blow their Shofar to call the people to prayer. Then, the Jews were exiled from their homes and it was years before they could return to Jerusalem to stay, but the temple was never rebuilt.
The reason people pray at the wall is because it is believed to be the closest point to the Holy of Holies, the holiest room of the old temple. A Muslim mosque now occupies this site. This old tradition of praying at the wall began around 200-300 AD when Rabbis claimed that God's presence still tarried at the location of the Holy of Holies. Sad to say, the wall has been an object of bickering between Muslims and Jews for centuries. When Jews began moving back into the territory in the 1800s the tenseness increased between the two religions.
Jews come to the wall from all over the world. No one knows when it became a Jewish tradition of offering prayers there, but it is believed that this portion of the Temple was not destroyed because the Shekhinah (divine presence) continues to reside there. Thus, praying there is like praying directly to God through the wall. In addition to spoken prayers, it is also common for prayers to be written on slips are paper which are slipped into the cracks. The men wear either a hat or shawl to show respect. At the wall you can hear some of them wailing or crying for the loss of their great temple. This is why the wall became known as "the Wailing Wall." There are three things they are mourning for:
* the destruction of the city and the temple
* the loss of the 10 commandment tablets and the ark of the covenant
* as they wait for the arrival of the Messiah
Many events take place at the wall such as religious gatherings and celebrations. Today the area is under Jewish control since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War when Jerusalem captured Jordan.
Before you can enter the courtyard you have to go through a security check. There is a fence separating the men from the women. Sometimes they will do quick body frisks and even open your bags. While you are there, you are expected to act in a manner of reverence. (After all it is considered a place of worship!) One should dress properly (no spaghetti straps or even short sleeves!) While I was walking toward the wall I saw a lady to the side with shawls that you could borrow - she would even put on on you if she thought you were not dressed properly!
For Muslims, it is not only part of the huge platform which forms the foundation of the Dome of the Rock, but it is also believed to be the gate through which Muhammad was carried by a mythical creature known as the Buraq when he arrived at Jerusalem for his ascent to heaven. But more on the Dome of the Rock later....
