The Western Wall is a retaining wall from the Second Temple complex in Jerusalem that is considered the holiest site in Judaism, as Jews believe it was originally built to hold the Temple. It is a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Jews, where they insert prayer notes between the stones, though there are ongoing conflicts with Muslims who control the Temple Mount and believe the Wall is part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The Wall is one of the last remnants of the ancient wall surrounding the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

1. THE WESTERN WALL
By Daniel Berman

2. THE PEOPLE
 Jews
A nation and ethnoreligious group originating in
the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near
East
 Judaism is their traditional faith
 Estimated 13.4 million Jews in the world
 0.2% of the total world population
 Believe to be the “Children of Israel”

3. JUDAISM
 Religion, philosophy and way of life of the
Jewish people
 Originated in the Hebrew Bible and then later
explored in the Talmud
 Believes that God revealed his laws and
commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in
the Torah

4. HISTORY OF THE WALL
 Solomon’s Temple (1st Temple)
 Built in 10th century BCE and destroyed by
Babylonians in 586 BCE
 Second Temple
 Completed and dedicated in 516 BCE
 Destroyed in 70 CE by the Roman Empire
 Middle Ages
 Arab king renovated the Temple Mount incorporating
the still standing Western Wall.
 Until Present
 Many different occupiers

5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WESTERN WALL
 Last remnants of the ancient wall
surrounding the Second Temple, destroyed in
70 CE.
 “Wailing Wall”
 Belief in the divine presence at the Wall.
 Prayer notes
 Place of pilgrimage for Jews
Prayer Notes

6. WORSHIP AT THE WESTERN WALL

7. CONFLICTS OF THE WESTERN WALL
 Jews
 believe it was originally built to hold the Second
Temple.
 Israel acknowledges
 Muslims
 Believe that the Western Wall is fully part of the
al-Aqsa Compound on the Temple Mount
 Palestine
 Only an issue after the Balfour Declaration in 1917

8. WESTERN WALL LOCAL IMPACTS
 The area in front of the wall was cleared
 Archeological findings
 Constant Crowds
 Renovations Remains of
Robinson’s
 Robinson’s Arch Arch
 Wilson’s Arch
Wilson’s Arch

9. TEMPLE MOUNT AND WESTERN WALL

10. MAP OF THE OLD JERUSALEM
Temple Mount
Dome of
the Rock
Western
Wall

11. CREDITS
 Picture in Slide 9:
http://www.linearconcepts.com/travelog/2007
-israel/28-temple-mount
 Pictures in Slides 8 and 10: “Western Wall”
wikipedia page