Adapted from The Original Second Temple: An Illustrated Guide to the Layout and Design of the Pre-Herodian Beis Hamikdash (Feldheim, 2021)

Nearly 2,000 years ago our nation witnessed the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, a gleaming edifice of marble and gold described by the Gemara as the most magnificent building in the world. To this day we cherish the memory of that structure along with the ever-present hope that it will soon be rebuilt.

At the heart of the Chanukah story is the Beis Hamikdash. It was here that the persecution of the Jews began under the rule of Antiochus, who ordered that the Beis Hamikdash be desecrated and converted into a place of pagan worship. Mattisyahu, son of Yochanan the Kohen Gadol, fled to the countryside, where he became the father of the Jewish resistance. His sons and followers, the Maccabees, fought bravely against all odds and were aided by Divine Providence to eventually return to Yerushalayim and bring the Beis Hamikdash back to Jewish hands. It is their miraculous victories and efforts to restore the sacrificial service to its earlier glory that we commemorate on the holiday of Chanukah. Let’s explore the connection between the physical structure of the Second Beis Hamikdash and some of the core elements of the Chanukah story.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, our nation witnessed the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, a gleaming edifice of marble and gold described by the Gemara as the most magnificent building in the world. To this day, we cherish the memory of that structure along with the ever-present hope that it will soon be rebuilt. A new book, titled The Original Second Temple: An Illustrated Guide to the Layout and Design of the Pre-Herodian Beis Hamikdash (Feldheim, 2021) by local author Yoav Elan sheds a new light on this timeless topic.

 When we stand at the Kosel, we are looking at the remnants of the western wall of Har Habayis (Temple Mount). Two thousand years ago, the entire Har Habayis was surrounded on all four sides by tall walls like this one. Each wall had one or more gates to allow the steady flow of pedestrian traffic to enter and exit Har Habayis. The following excerpt (with some additional material from my blog) gives a brief overview of the gates of Har Habayis, and concludes with an interesting connection between the Beis Hamikdash and the upcoming holiday of Purim.*