Western Wall

The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall and the Kotel HaMa'aravi or Kotel in Hebrew, is the section of the western supporting wall of the Temple Mount, and is considered the sole remnant of the Second Temple following its destruction in 70 C.E.

Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, built around 19 BCE by Herod the Great, has become the most sacred spot in the Jewish religion. It was returned to Jewish control during the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israeli troops captured the Old City from Jordan. A large plaza in front of the wall where Jews and visitors could congregate and pray was immediately paved.

Over the decades the wall has been visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims and is often on the itinerary of foreign heads of state who visit Israel. One of the customary traditions for visitors to the Western Wall is to place a small written prayer into one of the cracks in the Wall. It is also where many new IDF conscripts pledge their allegiance to the army and to Israel.

The Western Wall's religious and historic importance to the Jewish people combined with its extreme proximity to Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount, primarily the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, has been the trigger for many outbreaks of violence since 1967.

Latest Stories on Western Wall

eBay sale of 'Western Wall stones' prompts outcry in Jewish world

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich lodges official police complaint over the fraudulent sale, calls any use of Kotel stones a violation of both religious and modern law.

by Nir Hasson 0 comments

excavations, Jerusalem, western wall, king herod, coins

Excavations reveal King Herod didn't complete construction of Jerusalem's Western Wall

Israel Antiques Authority reveals discovery of mikveh alongside Jerusalem's ancient drainage channel.

by Nir Hasson 72 comments

The power of praying amid ‘schnorers’

Offering tzedaka, which is often mistranslated as meaning charity, is by definition, righteousness, a benefit more for the giver than the receiver.

by Rabbi Yehoshua Looks 17 comments

Left and right join forces against Glenn Beck's Western Wall rally

The rally, entitled 'Restoring Courage', is expected to include nationalistic Israeli sentiments as well as Christian content.

by Oz Rosenberg 63 comments

View All Latest Opinion on Western Wall

Peeping Toms

The notes placed in the Western Wall may be a matter between the writer and his God; the decision on whether to publish them is a matter between the journalist and himself, his editors and his ethics. All of these were once sacred.

by Shlomi Barzel 0 comments

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