MY ISRAEL:
DOME OF THE ROCK – The Architecture of Deception.
Placement of a structure is sometimes more revealing than the building itself.
Prior to delving into the intent of the Dome of the Rock, I would like to first focus on the architectural makeup of the building, which is a shrine & not a mosque.
THE ARCHITECTURE:
Built during the early Arab period (638 C.E. – 1099 C.E.) by Abd el-Malik in 691 C.E, the 5th Umayyad caliph who reigned from 685 C.E to 705 C.E. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as the mosque of Omar, the caliph who conquered Jerusalem in 638 C.E.
The building is concentric in plan and made up of 3 rings, an inner, intermediate & outer ring. The inner circular ring encompasses a limestone rock. Both the inner circular ring and intermediate octagonal ring are defined by round & square columns that support overhead beams. The exterior octagonal walls make up the outer ring & accommodate 4 openings, namely, the north, south, east & west door openings. (Refer to sketch 1).
In section, the inner circle supports an overhead drum. The drum in turn supports an overhead dome. Affixed to the drum is an outwardly sloping roof, which extends to the outer walls. (Refer to sketch 2).
The structures external & internal finishes are unashamedly Arabesque in style. Porcelain mosaics arranged into geometrical & floral forms cover the external facade. In addition, tiles containing Arabic calligraphy punctuate the walls. The ravages of time caused the original mosaics to start crumbling, & during the Ottoman period (1516-1917), Suleiman the magnificent (1520-1566) resurfaced the structure with ceramic tiles from Anatolia. Of note is the absence of human or animal forms, which Islam forbids. At the buildings inception in 691 C.E, the dome covering comprised of 100 000 melted down gold dinar coins. In 1960 the dome was covered with a durable aluminum and bronze alloy made in Italy, & in 1988 refurbished with 80 kilograms of gold supplied by king Hussein of Jordan.
Both marble & granite columns dot the interior & material finishes include mother of pearl, gold & glass as well tin glazed pottery & marble. The different sizes & shapes in both the columns and capitols, as well as the appearance of crosses on some of the columns, are an indication that some building components were “borrowed” from existing structures. During the Crusader period (1099-1291) the building was utilized as a church.
THE DECEPTION:
Jewish tradition holds that the internal limestone rock known as the foundation stone, designates the center of the world, & was the location of both the creation of Adam, & the halting of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. The site is also the location of both the first & second Temples. The first built during Solomon’s rule (970 B.C.E. – 930 B.C.E), & the second built between 520 B.C.E & 516 B.C.E at the start of the second Temple period (538 B.C.E – 73 C.E.). Herod (37 B.C.E - 4 B.C.E.), transformed the site. He enlarged the area by surrounding the site with retaining walls to the north, south, east & west, the latter known as the Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel. Herod added auxiliary buildings to the site and renovated existing buildings, including the Temple. So impressive were Herod’s renovations & additions, that even the Talmud acknowledges his achievement and states "He, who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building." (Talmud-Bava Basra 4a).
All archaeological findings on the site prove beyond doubt, that the Temple Mount was the location of both the first & second temples. Additionally, in 1999 the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement conducted illegal renovations on the Temple Mount. It disposed of over 9000 tons of earth mixed with invaluable artifacts & dumped it into the nearby Kidron Valley. In 2004, the Israel antiquities authority launched a salvage operation known as the Temple Mount Sifting Project to retrieve artifacts contained within the dump. Numerous archaeological findings have further substantiated Jewish claims to the site.
Prior to the appearance of Mohammed the whole Arabian Peninsula was pagan. According to the Islamic narrative, the year 622 C.E. saw Mohammed embark on a “night journey” made up of the isra & miraj. The isra involved a winged stallion that transported him from Mecca to Jerusalem. After having secured his stallion to the western wall, Mohammed then continued onto the second leg of the journey known as the miraj. The journey commenced on the Temple Mount & ended in heaven where he received instruction directly from the Almighty.
The Dome of the Rock, built 58 years after the Mohammed’s death in 632 C.E, was supposedly built to celebrate the “night journey”, yet, the original el-Malik inscription makes no mention of either the isra or miraj. In addition, Jews all over the world face Jerusalem in prayer, and when in Jerusalem face the Temple Mount. Muslims face Mecca in prayer. Jerusalem is not once mentioned in the Koran, yet appears over 650 times in the Hebrew bible. So holy is the Temple Mount to Judaism, that many Jews will not ascend the mount lest they trample on the spot where the Holy of Holies stood, a room within the Temple that housed the arc of the covenant. Bear in mind that Judaism predates Islam by thousands of years. Islam first arose in 622 C.E, approximately 3180 years after the birth of Abraham and the start of Judaism, & about 2800 years after the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
THE INTENT:
The placement of the structure on Judaism’s holiest site clearly reveals Islamic intentions, namely, to negate Jewish heritage & religiously colonize & occupy the region.
Ron Traub (Tour Guide & Architect).
Website: rontraub-tours.com
Photo’s: Rimonah Traub.
Sketches: Ron Traub.
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