First Temple Period Weight Found Next to Western Wall in Jerusalem
The inscribed two-shekel weight was likely used more than 2,600 years ago in a market at the foot of the Temple where pilgrims bought animals for sacrifices and other goods
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.
Western Wall Rabbi Should Be Disciplined for Allowing Election Rally on Site, Commissioner Says
Shmuel Rabinowitz maintains he didn’t know the rally would be of a political nature, but organizers showed support for Jerusalem mayoral candidate
‘Fences Are Insulting’: Israel’s Government Once Opposed Gender Segregation at the Western Wall
Israeli cabinet members expressed rage during a 1967 meeting about the ultra-Orthodox monopoly at the holy site. 'Regretfully, they are behaving as if it belonged to only one section'
Archaeologists Discover Jordanian Ammunition Stash in Jerusalem's Old City
Stash found at the bottom of a British Mandate period water cistern contains magazines, bayonets and parts of a rifle
Mystery Solved: Who Really Built Ancient Bridge to Jerusalem Temple
Radiocarbon dating reveals who really built Wilson’s Arch, a massive causeway whose construction on the Temple Mount has been attributed to everyone from Herod to the Muslim caliphs
Enigmatic Rooms Cut Into the Bedrock Discovered Under Western Wall
Checking beneath the floor of a Byzantine structure in ancient Jerusalem, the archaeologists found a strange system of rooms carved in the early Roman period
War Trophy of a Roman Soldier? Rare Bar Kochba Coin Found in Jerusalem
Out of over 22,000 ancient coins found in Jerusalem, only four were ‘minted’ by the Bar Kochba rebels – who evidently never made it into the city
At Empty Western Wall, Praying for Those Who Aren’t Allowed In
The thrice-daily prayers at the Western Wall, approved by the cabinet, are streamed on Facebook Live and get hundreds of thousands of views
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Prays at Western Wall in Violation of Coronavirus Guidelines
The prayer in which Ambassador David Friedman took part in included more than ten people. U.S. Embassy says he followed guidelines
Limited Easter Ceremonies in Jerusalem Likely to Be Broadcast Live Across the World
Church leaders in Jerusalem complain holy sites were not exempt from emergency restrictions in the same way as the Western Wall, push for final approval
With Hazmat Suits and Sanitizer, Collecting Letters to God in the Time of Coronavirus
Tens of thousands of notes are crammed into the crevices of Jerusalem's Western Wall, and are extracted twice a year. This time, clearing out the prayers, wishes and messages requires extra protection
Prominent Rabbi Urges Jewish Worshipers Not to Kiss Western Wall Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Kissing the wall is not a ritual requirement, but some devout Jews do so, believing it shows reverence to God
Coronavirus Takes Spirit Out of Jerusalem Holy Sites, but Residents Cling to Faith
Chrisitian, Muslim and Jewish sites at the Old City adapt to new restrictions on congregation and prayer as coronavirus tours the Holy Land
Planned Western Wall Train Will Threaten Historic Jerusalem Spring, Report Says
Water has flown from what might be the most famous spring in history for millions of years – and work on an underground train could end it
Israel Approves Extending Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Line to Western Wall, Over Experts’ Objections
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich exerted heavy pressure on the committee to accept the plan, several sources say
Karaites Join Petitions Against Planned Western Wall Cable Car
Jewish community says project will pass over and thus desecrate its graves, rejects Jerusalem’s and state’s offer to pay to relocate the graves
A Tantalizing Tour of Jerusalem’s Magical Armenian Tiles
The Rockefeller Museum’s celebration of a century of Armenian art is an inspiration for lovers of the dazzling ceramics. There are many sites where you can see the handiwork of the city's famed ceramicists
Meet the Legal Crusader Fighting Israel’s Kahanists and Exclusionists — and Winning
Orly Erez-Likhovski is a key warrior in the battle against extremism in Israel, including the ongoing struggle to secure an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall
Israel's Housing Cabinet Green Lights Controversial Jerusalem Old City Cable Car Plan
The plan, which was rejected by environmentalists, architects and local Palestinians, has long been disputed by critics who say a transition government shouldn't approve it
WATCH Tens of Thousands of Jewish Worshippers Hold Sukkot Priestly Blessing at Western Wall
Holding prayer shawls above their heads and covering their faces, priests chant 'the Lord blesses you and keeps you'
Women of the Wall Heroine Now Fights the Patriarchy One Painting at a Time
With her first exhibition underway, Lesley Sachs tells Haaretz how she translated her battles with the ultra-Orthodox into art – even if she doesn’t depict any violence
Israel Rebukes Chilean Ambassador Over Pinera's Visit to Temple Mount With Palestinians
Foreign Ministry states it 'views gravely' the 'violation of Israeli sovereignty’ ■ Chile is home to the largest Palestinian community outside the Middle East ■ Pinera won’t visit a refugee camp, as was originally planned
Israeli Planning Committee Approves Controversial Jerusalem Old City Cable Car
The plans for a Western Wall line, which must still be passed by the government, have been contested by many as an intrusive project linking East and West Jerusalem
Opinion The Other Threat That Both Muslim and Jewish Women Face
Jews and Muslims face a common struggle against white supremacists. Now Jewish and Muslim women are building another form of solidarity: jointly facing the discrimination within our own communities that denies us religious and ritual equality
Following Complaint, Senior Rabbinical Judge Backs Out of Event to ‘Reclaim’ Western Wall From Conservative, Reform Jews
Rabbi Eliezer Igra withdrew from the event organized by far-right group after Conservative movement leaders filed official complaint against him
Haredi Teen Who Threatened to Kill Leader of Conservative Movement in Israel to Be Prosecuted
Teen's death threats were issued during a Women of the Wall prayer service held at Jerusalem’s Western Wall and also targeted members of the movement
Opinion In Israel's Election, No-one's Talking About the Rabbis. But They Should
In the nastiest, emptiest Israeli election I've ever witnessed, there was nearly a meaningful debate about one substantial issue. Then the moment passed
Pompeo Arrives at Western Wall With Netanyahu, a First Visit of U.S. Diplomat With Israeli Official
U.S. secretary of state says 'it wasn't a mistake' when the administration decided to drop words 'occupied territories' from report regarding the Golan Heights
‘Next Time It Could Turn Deadly’: Reform Movement Leader Blames Israel for Clashes at Western Wall
‘Delegitimizing other Jews leads to the kind of violence we saw last Friday,’ Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, warns
‘A Desecration of God’s Name’ Women of the Wall Demands Government Inquiry Into Violent Attacks at Western Wall
‘It’s important to ask who benefited politically from this show of force against Women of the Wall 34 days before the election,’ says group’s head after thousands of ultra-Orthodox youths were bused in to protest last Friday