What Did It Looks Like to Walk Around Jerusalem’s Temple Mount in the Time of Jesus?

A virtual reconstruction, entering from the south:

HT

Mughrabi Bridge Demolition Delayed

Jordan, Egypt warned Israel taking down bridge that connects Western Wall, Temple Mount may spark regional protests.

Anything for a good protest in Jordan and Egypt…

In any event, The Jerusalem Post reports:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday delayed plans at the last minute to  start rebuilding the Mughrabi Bridge linking the Western Wall Plaza to the  Temple Mount because of Egyptian and Jordanian concerns, Channel 2 reported  Sunday.

According to the report, work on the bridge – which received approval in March – was to have begun early Sunday morning. The initial work of  demolishing the existing structure would have necessitated the deployment of  large IDF and security forces in Jerusalem and around the Temple Mount, as well  as stepped-up army preparedness in the West Bank.

Channel 2 reported  Cairo and Amman warned Jerusalem the work would likely lead to “disruptions” in  both Jordan and Egypt.

Officials in both the Prime Minister’s Office and  the Jerusalem Municipality refused Sunday night to comment on the  reports.

Previous work on the bridge caused widespread rioting in  neighborhoods throughout the Jerusalem area and in Jordan.

Jordan’s Awkaf  Islamic Affairs and Holy Places Ministry warned that were Israel to begin to  take down the Mughrabi Bridge, the move would likely ignite protests throughout  Jordan, which could eventually spread to the West Bank, according to the Channel  2 report.

Under the plans, a permanent bridge is to be built to replace  the current temporary wooden structure that has been in use since a 2003  earthquake and winter storm caused part of the original bridge to collapse. The  bridge is used as the main entry point for non-Muslim tourists and security  forces entering the Temple Mount.

 

Orthodox Church to be Rebuilt at Ground Zero

The Huffington Post reports:

Ten years after tiny St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was destroyed by falling rubble from the World Trade Center towers, church leaders reached an agreement Friday (Oct. 14) to rebuild at Ground Zero.

The church, founded by Greek immigrants in 1916, sat in the shadow of the twin towers and was the only religious building to be completely destroyed during the 9/11 attacks.

Under the agreement brokered by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the church agreed to drop a lawsuit filed in February against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls rebuilding at Ground Zero.

The agreement marks a major win for the tiny church, which insisted on sticking to a preliminary agreement to exchange their original location at 155 Cedar Street — now part of a vehicle security center — for a larger piece of property at 130 Liberty Street.

The agreement allows the church to build a 4,100-square-foot church and interfaith bereavement center at 130 Liberty Street in exchange for dropping all litigation against city officials.

“With this agreement, we are continuing New York’s collective healing, restoration, and resurgence,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Now we are finally returning this treasured place of reflection to where it belongs.”
Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said construction on the church is scheduled to begin in 2013, once underground modifications are made to the future church site.

Stavros Papagermanos, a spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, said some funds have already been raised for reconstruction, but could not say how much the project would cost or how long it would take…

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