Dome Of The Rock Research Paper

Joyce Williams

Professor Mohammed Belhadj Kacem

Geo 210-DL-104

Dome of the Rock

“An Impossible Geography”

What is religion? To some “it is the belief and the worships of a superhuman controlling power, especially a God or gods. The Jewish religion and the Muslim religion are two of the most important religions in our society today. Each of the important religions of today began during trying times in the world. Not unlike the other religions, the Jewish religion and the Muslim religion and its followers have had their struggles from its beginning. One of the struggles of these two has to do with politics and a struggle for power. For the Jews and Muslims this struggle and strife began in their homeland of Jerusalem. This struggle for political

control has led to what is deemed, “An Impossible Geography.”
The city of Jerusalem is especially holy to the Jews because it is the location of the Temple, their center of worship in ancient times. The First Temple was built during the reign of King Solomon. Solomon was the son of King David, a famous and favorite king of the Jews according to the Bible. David instructed his son, Solomon, that the Lord wanted a temple to be built and if the temple is built and you obey the Lord’s commandments and will, then you will prosper and the Lord will be with you. David commanded all of the leaders at that time to help with building this temple. When David died Solomon commanded that the First Temple be built.
The First Temple was built around 966 B.C.

It was built on what was known as, Mount Moriah, where King David built a portable tabernacle and met with God. The Temple was built of the best materials that could be found. There were thousands of laborers who worked on the temple. The temple was five stories high, the walls were lined with cedar and overlaid with gold. The Temple included carvings of cherubs, palm trees and open flowers. Legend says that there was never any noise coming from the building because no hammers or tools were used on the stones that the outside of the Temple was made with. The Temple when completed was the most beautiful place. It was dedicated to Solomon, King of Israel, because of his leadership and because of Solomon following God’s word. It was a refuge for strangers, it had no idols, it was the ear of God and it was the house of prayer for all people. Sacrifice was the predominant mode of divine service during this

time.
About four hundred years later, the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. A Second Temple was built on the very same site around 586 B.C. The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, gained control of Jerusalem in 614 B.C. and the Jews were allowed to build a Second Temple in 516 B.C. Cyrus authorized the building of the Second Temple. This temple was not as elaborate as the First Temple built by Solomon. The elders who remained during this time and had seen the First Temple were not as pleased with the Second Temple. The Second Temple was built in about three years. The new temple was not the same. The Ark of the Covenant was missing. This was a very important part of the Jewish tradition. Also strong leadership was lacking during this time. Strong leadership was needed for the community of Jewish people and within the Jewish religion. Ezra came to help fill the void but through his efforts things still did not return to where they were for the Jews before the First Temple was destroyed. In A.D. 70, the Romans invaded the area, sieged Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple leaving only a small portion of the restraining wall which remains and is called, “The Wailing Wall.”
The Jews had lost control of their precious center of worship, Jerusalem. In 691 A.D., Muslims claimed this area and built a shrine called the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. This became the Muslims’ holy area. The Dome of the Rock is said to get its name from the fact that it is built over the highest part of Mount Moriah where Abraham, a Jew, was preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac to God.
The Dome of the Rock is a part of what is known as the Noble Sanctuary or Al-Haram al-Sharif.

After taking control of Jerusalem, Islamic leaders decided to have the Dome of the Rock built in 685 A.D. It took about seven years to complete. Like the Jews, First Temple, the Dome of the Rock has a legend. The legend says that the Dome of the Rock was built because Prophet Muhammad was taken to Mount Moriah by the angel, Gabriel and from there Muhammad ascended into heaven and met all the prophets that had preceded him, as well as seeing God sitting on his throne surrounded by angels. This “Night Journey” from Mecca by Muhammad is mentioned briefly in the Qur’an, the holy book of the Muslim

religion.
The Dome of the Rock is said to be one of Islam’s oldest piece of architecture. The dome was built in an octagonal shape that is mounted on an elevated drum of 16 piers and columns. It is made of marble and mosaics. Many builders and artisans were brought in to help with construction of the Dome of the Rock. The inside of the dome is circular and the outside is made of gold. The different builders and artisans were able to incorporate their styles in the parts of the dome they worked on.
The First and Second Temple and the Dome of the Rock play a significant role in the lives of Jewish and Muslims both. Both sets of people have a history in this piece of geography. With this historical and religious part of the lives of Jews and Muslims a dilemma arrives. Jews are still taught that Jerusalem was the center of their religion. They worship through the stories taught about Abraham and his sacrifice of his son, Isaac, King David and his son King Solomon who was instructed by his father to build the Temple. The God they worship, the God who kept these people and led them to where they are today is worshipped. All they have left of this special symbol of their religious beliefs is a portion of a wall. Religion includes symbols and the remaining wall is a symbol of the power of their religion. The “Wailing Wall” is for those still living in the Middle East a true part of their religion that they should have a right to have access to.
The Muslims regard this piece of geography as a holy spot because of its historical and religious beginning. It was known as the “farthest mosque” where at one time the Muslims faced in prayer. The mosque al-Aqsa is very near the Dome of the Rock, making this area a special place of worship for the Muslims.
There has been conflict between the Jews and the Muslims over this historical and religious site. They both felt they should have the right to worship in Jerusalem. The Muslims allowed Jews and Christians to come and visit the Western Wall or “Wailing Wall” once a year for a time. During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel captured Jerusalem and the Jews now were allowed to worship in Jerusalem.
But that would block out the Muslims. Their right to worship at this sacred place has been taken over. Israel does give Muslims access to the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Palestinian guards.
So with the political struggle of ownership, these two religions are caught between a rock and a hard place. This one small piece of geography that has changed hands several times is caught in a struggle for peace in the Middle East. Neither side and religion wants to give up control of Jerusalem so no one is content.