Before any Israeli archeologists ever decided that the Temple Mount was not the place the Jewish Temple was Ernest L. Martin came out with a book entitled "The Temples Jerusalem Forgot" where he speaks of this.
His book may have been the key that started several Archaeologists searching in the CITY of DAVID for evidence there, that Temple was on the Southern edge of the Ophel, in the City of David. This Drawing is the most Accurate drawing of the Eye Witness, the Historian JOSEPHUS.
Looking from the South in the first Picture, you see the City of David, and the largest building was approximately David's Palace with the Big Arched Doorway. Up to the North in this Picture, there is the Southern exterior Wall of the outer Court of the Gentiles and directly behind that wall was The Court of the Gentiles, surrounding three sides of the Temple Complex. The Temple sits on the Ophel, on the North end of City of David.
Beyond the Temple to the NORTH was a 600 foot open court yard, with two Covered Bridges along the Western edge, so the Roman Soldiers could Quell a rebellion in the TEMPLE, as it ran DOWN to the Temple to the northwest Corner of the TEMPLE Complex. Even JOSEPHUS describes a BATTLE on those Bridges during one REBELLION. The Fortress Antonia was on the Higher HILL, and housed the Roman 10th Legion of 6000 men, and 4000 support staff, including a whole array of STORES, so the ROMAN soldier did not have to go into Jerusalem to BUY ANYTHING. Even is Acts, the ROMAN REGIMENT had to Rescue Paul as they were Beating him just outside the the Interior Gates, the Main Entrance, to the Temple Complex.
Acts 21:30-33 (HCSB)
30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together.
They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple complex, and at once the gates were shut.
31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up
to the commander of the regiment (6000 men) that all Jerusalem was in chaos.
32
Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.
See the Golden Doors just inside the Outer Wall, Those Doors were SHUT when they were trying to kill Paul.
WHY? Perhaps executions could be held in the Court of the Gentiles, if the DOORS WERE SHUT TO THE TEMPLE COMPLEX.
Court of the Gentiles was both sides, and the little Space in Front of the Golden Doors. This image of the Temple, is accurate
according to JOSEPHUS. As an EYE WITNESS, He says when standing in the EASTERN GATE, he could see all the way to the
Holy of Holies
CURTAIN. So on high Holy Days, all the Doors were open.
There are the Covered BRIDGES, angled down to the TEMPLE Complex. THAT TALL SOUTHEAST CORNER was a TOWER designed to be a LOOK OUT for TROUBLE brewing in the TEMPLE. JOSEPHUS does give us the actual measurements of all four Corner Towers, and the one on the Southeast was more than double the Height. The Guard Up Top, would have spotted them just as they started to BEAT PAUL. If this interior is accurate, the big building FRONT AND CENTER, would have BEEN the ARMORY. Grab your weapons and
run down the Covered Bridges and break up the fight. Once in, YOU ARE ON COURT OF THE GENTILES GROUND ALL THE WAY TO PAUL.
I was not going to Put this picture up, but I decided Topographically it could be useful, if it represents pre-Temple before Herod embellished the Temple. Eastern Gate is off Center to the left, Only One Covered Bridge too long as it was only 600 feet according to Josephus, and this looks like a 1000 feet, and the Southeast Tower is only about 50% taller, or Less that the other towers. But Mount Zion looks right, and Fortress Antonia is on an higher hill, and the center building was where Romans had their Trials, Commander's Office, and business Offices. Obviously, Josephus was not a MANDATORY reading to this artist.
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