This article is taken from the April 2022 issue of Fraternal Review titled, “The Temple of Solomon”.
Both the York and Scottish Rites further the education of the blue lodge degrees by not only discussing the Holy of Holies of King Solomon’s Temple, but also what lies underneath it. By Jewish tradition, the Holy of Holies was located upon Mount Moriah, which is now better known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is widely believed that the site of the Holy of Holies of the former Temple is marked by the Foundation Stone. The Foundation Stone is a large rock on the Temple Mount, currently covered entirely by the Dome of the Rock mosque.
This stone holds significance to all three of the Abrahamic religions of the region. It is believed that the rock marks the spot where Abraham sought to sacrifice Isaac, where Jacob had his dream, where Noah made landfall, and was ultimately the resting place of the Arc of the Covenant. Additionally, in the Christian religion, it is believed that this was a possible site of the annunciation of John the Baptist. From the Islamic standpoint, the rock marks the spot of Muhammed’s night journey to heaven. It is also asserted by the Jewish faith that the stone marks the place where God created the world and the first human, Adam.
The current Dome of the Rock was built, in about 691 CE, upon the site of the second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. It was captured by the Knights Templar in 1099 and renamed the Templum Domini, or Temple of the Lord. After the sack of Jerusalem in 1187, Saladin ordered the Dome of the Rock to be ritually purified with rose water. Christian furnishings were removed from the mosque and it was fitted with oriental carpets. Its walls were illuminated with candelabras and text from the Quran. It has remained in the charge of the Muslims ever since.
The Mishnah states, “There are ten degrees of holiness. The Land of Israel is holier than any other land... The Temple Mount is still more holy, for no man or woman who has gonorrhea, no menstruant and no woman after childbirth may enter therein. The Rampart (an area of ten cubits surrounding the Temple itself) is still more holy, for no gentiles and none that have contracted ritual impurity from a corpse may enter therein. The Court of Women is still more holy, for a person who has immersed himself that very day (but the sun has not yet set) may not enter therein, yet none who enter would thereby become liable to a sin-offering. The Court of Israelites is still more holy, for none whose atonement is yet incomplete (i.e., who have not yet brought a sacrifice) may enter therein, and a person who does enter would thereby become liable to a sin-offering...” [Kelim 1:6-9].
Even more than these, the Holy of Holies is the holiest site in Judaism, and could only be entered by the High Priest on one day per year, and then only after substantial ritual purification. The prohibition on Jews entering the Temple Mount is anchored in the Halakhic status of Jews in our times, who are regarded as “defiled by contact with the dead.” At present, unlike in ancient times, there is no possibility of being purified from this defilement. This purification required the ashes of a red heifer that had been sacrificed consistent with the requirements of Numbers 19:1-22 and Mishnah Tractate Parah. The existence of a red heifer that conforms with all of the rigid requirements imposed by these rules is a biological anomaly. The animal must be entirely of one color and meet other stringent requirements, and there is a series of tests listed by the rabbis to ensure this. According to Jewish tradition, only nine red heifers were actually slaughtered in the period extending from Moses to the destruction of the Second Temple.
The extreme rarity of the animal, combined with the detailed ritual in which it is used, have given the red heifer special status in Jewish tradition. It is cited as the prime example of a ḥok, or biblical law, for which there is no apparent logic. Because the state of ritual purity obtained through the ashes of a red heifer is a necessary prerequisite for participating in Temple service, efforts have been made in modern times by Jews wishing for biblical ritual purity, and in anticipation of the building of the Third Temple, to locate a red heifer and recreate the ritual. However, multiple candidates have been disqualified. As it is not known for absolute certain where the site of the Holy of Holies once stood, and given the relative impossibility of ritually purifying modern orthodox Jews, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem has precluded Jews from entering, lest they mistakenly set foot on holy ground, which could be punishable by death. According to Jewish tradition, the original holiness which King Solomon bestowed upon the first Temple was holy for its time and for the future, the reason being that the holiness of the Temple and of Jerusalem itself derives from God’s presence [Shekhinah], and the Shekhinah is not canceled out, for it is written “and I shall destroy your temples” (Leviticus 26:31). Therefore, according to Jewish tradition, “even though they be desolate, they are still called Temples” [Megillah 28a].
Beneath the stone is a natural cave, which has been somewhat enlarged. This is known in the Islamic tradition as the “well of souls,” as it is believed that it is the holding place of souls who are waiting for judgment day. Interestingly, if one were to knock on the lowest point of the cave, efforts would be met with a notable hollow echo sound. This has led many to speculate that there are additional chambers under the Well of Souls. No one has ever seen the chamber (or chambers) below. It is also relatively easy to isolate the sound of moving water beneath the cave. Both the Jewish and Islamic traditions have answers for this. The Talmud states that the stone covers an entry into the abyss, where all of the waters from the great flood are stored. Muslims believe that the river of paradise flows beneath the stone, and from it springs a large palm tree which holds up the stone, and indeed the world itself.
Written by W. Bro. Aaron Byrd.