The Temple of Jerusalem

Though only one retaining wall (the famous ""Wailing Wall"") survives, the Temple of Jerusalem remains a meaningful symbol in many religious traditions and is a source of inspiration for artists, poets, archaeologists and others who have been captivated by the idea of the once glorious structure. Goldhill, a professor of Greek Literature and Culture at the University of Cambridge, discusses the significance of the Temple to Christians, Muslims, Jews and even Freemasons, who ""take their 'passwords' and allegorical meanings from the Temple"" for their levels of initiation. He explains that the Temple, built to replace the first one that was destroyed in 587 BC and a second one that was deemed insufficient by Herod the Great, is commonly regarded as the second Temple because the construction of a third would represent the End of Days for Jews and Christians. Though the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, it still inspired many artistic imaginings that Goldhill acknowledges are a valid part of its ""archaeology."" These renderings are based on descriptions of the grand appearance of the Temple in scripture, which Goldhill describes at length, along with the many sacred rituals that took place inside. This fourth installment in Harvard's Wonders of the World series (The Parthenon, The Alhambra, etc.) illustrates the temple in fantastic detail and conveys its significance and symbolism both when it was standing and after its destruction. The thorough discussions of a wide variety of interpretations comprise a fascinating and vivid treatment of what Goldhill demonstrates to be ""the most potent symbol of the human search for a lost ideal...that has prompted struggle, brutal war between cultures and nations, and some of the most moving poetry and art of the Western tradition."" 25 halftones, 9 line drawings.