Because you know that Jerusalem's Temple (the "Bais Hamikdash") played an enormous role in Jewish history and that even through the thousands of years since it's loss, it still looms large. But you're not sure why.
The information, ideas and unusually accurate CAD-generated images of Jerusalem's Temple that are found in these pages can help. The relatively short time you will spend reading this small book should provide some good insight into the meaning, structure and history of the Temple. Once you're finished, you'll be well equipped to head out on your own. Perhaps to tackle the related sections of the Talmud called Middos and Tamid, or maybe to finally understand those difficult passages of Ezekiel (from chapter 40 on) and I Kings (ch. 8).
And you won't be completely lost when you one day visit the third Temple either. But we'll talk about that later.
Table of Contents:
WHY THE SECOND TEMPLE?
WHY A TEMPLE? (view chapter at the shemayisrael.co.il site)
A LITTLE PHILOSOPHY (view chapter at the shemayisrael.co.il site)
Rabbi S.R. Hirsch: why sacrifice?
A LITTLE HISTORY
timeline, the second temple, the lingering exile
A LITTLE ARCHITECTURE (view chapter at the shemayisrael.co.il site)
THE TEMPLE MOUNT
the shushan gate,
the judicial chambers, the floor plan, the walls, chulda's gates, the women's courtyard
THE MAIN COURTYARD (AZARAH)
the entrances to the azarah, the gate of the spark, the water gate, the jews' courtyard, the chamber of hewn stone, the fireplace chamber, the parve chamber, the altar, the ramps, the roof, the stairs to the antechamber, the slaughterhouse, the kiyur
THE HEICHAL
the antechamber, the office doors, the heichal, the temple vessels, the amah traksin, the holy of holies, the ark, the offices
TOUR STOPS
the mishna's temple, samaritans, chonyo, under the women's courtyard, inside the chamber of hewn stone, fire-proof plaster, deadly esrogim, the view from the bleachers
