in the middle east

The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock are two of the most well-known places in all of Jerusalem. They are located right next to one another, a symbol of how closely united the histories of Judaism and Islam are in this city. Both sites have an amazing history behind them, leading back to some of the most important moments in the heritage of Judaism and Islam. The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest site for Muslims, second only to Mecca and Medina, because it is believed that here Muhammed experienced his important visions that lay at the origins of Islam. It sits upon a large elevated platform (called Haram al-Sharif in Arabic) which is also the general location of the 1st Israelite temple built by Solomon (in the mid-900's BC), the 2nd temple built by the Jewish returnees around 525 BC, and the renovated temple constructed by King Herod in the early decades AD. Herod's temple is the one Jesus went to on many occasions, and whose destruction he predicted before his death. It was destroyed in AD 70, and no Jewish temple has stood here since. However, these places are not important only for their rich religious heritage. They are also at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today. A number of Palestinian neighborhoods were bulldozed in the 1960's to create the plaza for the Western Wall, one act of many which has sparked the vicious cycles of violence that plague this country. Thus, standing here brings mixed feelings of awe and sadness.
To see pictures and video of our experience at the Western Wall see this link: http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/tpmackie/web/pictures/westernw...
To see pictures and video of our experience at the Dome of the Rock see this link: http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/tpmackie/web/pictures/domeofth...