by Hana Levi Julian and Alex Traiman(IsraelNN.com) A large trench being
dug on the Temple Mount is destroying a never before uncovered section
of the outer wall of the Second Temple. The construction is being
supervised by the Wakf—the Muslim Authority acting as custodians to the
Temple Mount.
Archeologists have been calling for construction to halt on the trench,
which is approximately 1,300 feet long and five feet deep. The Wakf
claims the trench is being dug to replace 40-year-old electrical cables
for nearby mosques.
New photos of construction debris from the Temple Mount show carved
stones casually dumped in a pile that appear to be a section of the
outer wall of the Second Temple, according to archaeologist Eilat
Mazar.
According to Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple
Institute, the Wakf is intentionally digging in areas where
"undoubtedly the Temple once stood." "For the first time since the
Temple's destruction, a section of the Temple Wall itself has been
exposed," Richman said. "And the Wakf under the guise of laying down
electrical pipes has dug a trench, destroying the most important holy
artifact ever found to date."
Richman contends that the Temple remains are being "purposely destroyed
with no supervision," calling the government's tolerance of the
construction "complicit cooperation."
According to a report by WorldNetDaily, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
personally gave permission for bulldozers, steam shovels and other
heavy equipment to be used to dig the trench.
"This is an extraordinarily serious offense," Richman states. "A
corrupt, spiritually bankrupt government is allowing Judaism's holiest
site to be trashed because of political agreements to officially hand
over the Temple Mount to the Palestinian Authority. Jews in Israel and
abroad are asleep, and have not awakened to the importance of the
Temple in Judaism or the desecration of this holy site being performed
daily by the Wakf."
The Israel Antiquities Authority approved the construction despite
archaeologists’ concern that precious artifacts are being destroyed.
The Authority, which digs for religious artifacts across the State of
Israel, has not inspected construction on Judaism's holiest site even
once since the work began, despite continuous calls for the
construction to be supervised and halted.
English spokesman for the Israeli Police, Mickey Rosenfeld asserts that
the police stationed on the Temple Mount will not prevent the
construction because the Antiquities Authority approved the dig.
The Wakf has denied that any Jewish artifacts have been discovered
during the dig, but new photos of work on the Mount belie the claim,
clearly showing what is likely to be an ancient piece of carved wall.
The wall in question is from the outer wall of the Temple itself, as
opposed to the Western Wall, which is a remnant of the retaining wall
around the larger Temple platform.
Mazar, a member of the faculty at Hebrew University and a member of the
Public Committee for Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on
the Temple Mount, says it is "crucial this wall is inspected." She
explains that the current ground level of the Temple Mount is slightly
above the original Temple Mount platform, “meaning anything found is
likely from the Temple itself.”
Mazar insists that she must personally inspect the stones to confirm
their status, and attempted to inspect the site last week. She was
stopped by Israeli police who are protecting the construction.
"The only hope is for Jews and non-Jews from across the world to stand
up and start putting pressure on the religious, political and
archeological communities to immediately halt this process," Richman
concludes. "The whole world is wondering what the Jews are doing,
allowing their most precious site, the Holy of Holies to be destroyed
right before their eyes."
Original
Source
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