Mountain
Mount Moriah
muh-RY-uh · Modern Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel · Also called Temple Mount, Har HaBayit
Mount Moriah is a mountain of the biblical world, known today as Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel.
What is known
- Genesis 22:2 identifies 'the region of Moriah' as the place God directed Abraham to offer Isaac; 2 Chronicles 3:1 identifies Mount Moriah as the site where Solomon built the Temple, connecting the two narratives
- The site is today occupied by the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif platform in Jerusalem's Old City, home to the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, making direct archaeological excavation of the summit itself politically and religiously restricted
- The Foundation Stone beneath the Dome of the Rock is traditionally identified by Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition alike as the same rocky outcrop associated with both the binding of Isaac and the Temple's Holy of Holies
- Herod the Great vastly enlarged the platform around 20 BC using massive retaining walls (portions of which survive as the Western Wall) to support an expanded Second Temple complex
History
- Industry
- Center of Israelite (and later Jewish) sacrificial worship and priestly administration once the Temple was built
- Coordinates
- 31.7780° N, 35.2354° E
Rulers and powers
- King Solomon (First Temple construction) — c. 966-959 BC
- Herod the Great (Temple platform expansion) — c. 20 BC
Archaeology
Direct excavation atop the Temple Mount platform is not permitted due to its religious sensitivity, so most archaeological evidence comes from surrounding excavations (the Western Wall tunnels, the Ophel, and the City of David) rather than the summit itself. The massive Herodian ashlar stones of the retaining walls, including the Western Wall, are visible today and date to Herod's expansion of the platform around 20 BC.
Scripture references
- Genesis 22:2 — God directs Abraham to the region of Moriah
- Genesis 22:9-14 — Abraham builds the altar and offers the ram
- 2 Chronicles 3:1 — Solomon builds the Temple on Mount Moriah
- 1 Kings 6:1 — Construction of Solomon's Temple
- 2 Samuel 24:18-25 — David purchases the threshing floor on the site
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
On Moriah, Abraham had to trust God with what he loved most — what would be hardest for you to lay down?
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