The Temple Mount

Jerusalem was captured by Muslim Caliph Omar 638 entering through the Golden Gate.  The Dome of the Rock was built in 691 over this prized piece of real estate.  Under the golden dome lies the bare rock where Jews claim Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac.  Muslims claim the son was Ismael and point to some marks on the stone where supposedly the midnight rider Muhammad touched down during a heavenly journey on el- Burek.  It might be noted however that Jerusalem appears nowhere in the Quran.  They like to lay claim to things and rewrite history.

Some of Herod's ancient building stones from the time of Christ are still visible on lower levels of the walls but some have been reused by Arabs for later construction thus appearing out of place historically.  Muslims later sealed the gate shut and put a cemetery in front of it in order to defile the gate ever being used again by pious Jews or Messiah's.  It was walled shut several times by Muslims but the final job was done by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1541.

Stone blocks from Herod's time show a distinct border line around the outside as seen here at the Western Wall.  Muslims have been known to throw stones down on praying Jews from above.  While Jews pray facing this foundation wall below the temple mount, up above the Muslims can be found praying facing their stone idol in Mecca.

Pavement crushed by stones toppled from above likely by Roman soldiers in 70 A.D.  Jesus foretold of this future event when his disciples stood marveling at the amazing temple that Herod had worked on for forty years, "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down." (Luke 21:6)