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Solomon's Porch
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Solomon's Porch
Solomon's Porch, Portico or Colonnade (στοα του Σολομωντος; John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12), was a colonnade or cloister, located on the eastern side of the Temple's Outer Court (Women's Court) in Jerusalem, named after Solomon, King of Israel, and not to be confused with the Royal Stoa, which was on the southern side of Herod's Temple.
Titus Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived in Jerusalem during the 1st century AD and was present at its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, speaks of the wall and of the cloister or porch that King Solomon built east of the Temple House:
As witnessed by Josephus, the exact dimensions of Herod's Temple formed a perfect square - a furlong (c.185 meters) by a furlong on all four sides. On the east wall was a double cloister, porch, which in later times is referred to as Solomon's porch.
The historic writings of Josephus give an eyewitness account to the First and Second Temples, as well as Herod's Temple, all shared the same fore-mentioned east wall of the Temple complex. The east boundary line of the Temple complex never changed. Josephus was clear that Herod refused to let his builders make any changes in the ancient works of the east wall because of the great expense. Herod allowed the construction of new courts on the north, west and south sides of the Temple but the east wall remained intact and undisturbed.
The location of Solomon's First Temple, and Zerubbabel and Herod's Second Temple site, has remained a mystery for almost two thousand years. All were built on the threshing floor bought by King David. Finding the location of Herod's Temple would help us to locate Solomon's Porch. The location of the Temple has been a divisive subject. There have been many discrepancies concerning the size of Herod's Temple complex and where it was situated on the Temple Mount. The historical evidence does not support the idea of the whole Temple Mount as being Herod's extended courts to the North, West and South, as per the Dome of the Rock platform theories suggest. In these theories Herod's extended Temple courts would be almost triple the size of the furlong by furlong description of the Temple given by Josephus. Once the actual location of the Temple on the Mount is understood then also the location, and size, of Solomon's Porch/Portico will be revealed.
Historical evidence suggests a Triple Gate connection
This connection to Triple gate as Solomon Porch is shown in the maps of the 19th Century Explorations of the Temple Mount. During the 19th century Muslim rulers allowed various archaeological expeditions to take place in Jerusalem. Some were funded by The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) and the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem.
Among the early explorers of Palestine were men like Titus Tobler who conducted an expedition in the 1840s. The account of James Ferguson is found in An Essay on the Ancient Topography of Jerusalem, published in 1847. Thomas Lewin ESQ., authored Siege of Jerusalem by Titus, in 1863. Captain Charles Wilson documented the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem in 1886. In an effort to identify the location of the first and second Temple site, these scientists relied heavily on the Jewish Mishna and the historical writings of Josephus. They also conducted and documented their own extensive research which included detailed topographical maps of both Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The maps drawn by these early explorers show the Temple of Herod as being a furlong by a furlong square, stretching 606 feet in each direction from the SW corner of the Temple Mount with its east wall landing on a substructure called Triple Gate. A collection of these maps can be viewed here.
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Solomon's Porch
Solomon's Porch, Portico or Colonnade (στοα του Σολομωντος; John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12), was a colonnade or cloister, located on the eastern side of the Temple's Outer Court (Women's Court) in Jerusalem, named after Solomon, King of Israel, and not to be confused with the Royal Stoa, which was on the southern side of Herod's Temple.
Titus Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived in Jerusalem during the 1st century AD and was present at its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, speaks of the wall and of the cloister or porch that King Solomon built east of the Temple House:
As witnessed by Josephus, the exact dimensions of Herod's Temple formed a perfect square - a furlong (c.185 meters) by a furlong on all four sides. On the east wall was a double cloister, porch, which in later times is referred to as Solomon's porch.
The historic writings of Josephus give an eyewitness account to the First and Second Temples, as well as Herod's Temple, all shared the same fore-mentioned east wall of the Temple complex. The east boundary line of the Temple complex never changed. Josephus was clear that Herod refused to let his builders make any changes in the ancient works of the east wall because of the great expense. Herod allowed the construction of new courts on the north, west and south sides of the Temple but the east wall remained intact and undisturbed.
The location of Solomon's First Temple, and Zerubbabel and Herod's Second Temple site, has remained a mystery for almost two thousand years. All were built on the threshing floor bought by King David. Finding the location of Herod's Temple would help us to locate Solomon's Porch. The location of the Temple has been a divisive subject. There have been many discrepancies concerning the size of Herod's Temple complex and where it was situated on the Temple Mount. The historical evidence does not support the idea of the whole Temple Mount as being Herod's extended courts to the North, West and South, as per the Dome of the Rock platform theories suggest. In these theories Herod's extended Temple courts would be almost triple the size of the furlong by furlong description of the Temple given by Josephus. Once the actual location of the Temple on the Mount is understood then also the location, and size, of Solomon's Porch/Portico will be revealed.
Historical evidence suggests a Triple Gate connection
This connection to Triple gate as Solomon Porch is shown in the maps of the 19th Century Explorations of the Temple Mount. During the 19th century Muslim rulers allowed various archaeological expeditions to take place in Jerusalem. Some were funded by The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) and the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem.
Among the early explorers of Palestine were men like Titus Tobler who conducted an expedition in the 1840s. The account of James Ferguson is found in An Essay on the Ancient Topography of Jerusalem, published in 1847. Thomas Lewin ESQ., authored Siege of Jerusalem by Titus, in 1863. Captain Charles Wilson documented the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem in 1886. In an effort to identify the location of the first and second Temple site, these scientists relied heavily on the Jewish Mishna and the historical writings of Josephus. They also conducted and documented their own extensive research which included detailed topographical maps of both Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The maps drawn by these early explorers show the Temple of Herod as being a furlong by a furlong square, stretching 606 feet in each direction from the SW corner of the Temple Mount with its east wall landing on a substructure called Triple Gate. A collection of these maps can be viewed here.