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Excavations of recent
years have unearthed amazing structures related
to the second temple in the southeast side of
the Temple Mount, including the flight of stairs
leading to the temple, the gates that led to the
temple, and ritual baths, cisterns, residential
houses and fortifications.
One of the most important
findings of the Southern wall excavations is the
monumental flight of steps leading up to the
second (Herodian) Temple Mount, through the Hulda gates. The staircase consists of 15 pairs
of alternating broad and narrow steps. Although
most of the steps were reconstructed, this is
one of the remains of the southern entrance.
A closer look at the
stairs is seen above, with the Mount of Olives on
the background. The steps are arranged in a
pattern of broad-narrow steps, probably
intentionally, in order to force the temple
visitor to look down while ascending the steps, thus seeming to bow to the
holiness of the great temple.
On these steps Jesus
entered the temple. It is a certainty that Jesus
was here. The staircase
was used by visitors to the temple for entry and exit.
For more info on Hulda
Gates and the staircase - click
here.
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Jn 10:22:
"And it was at Jerusalem the feast
of the dedication, and it was
winter. And Jesus walked in the
temple in Solomon's porch. Then
came the Jews round about him, and
said unto him, How long dost thou
make us to doubt? If thou be the
Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus
answered them, I told you, and ye
believed not: the works that I do
in my Father's name, they bear
witness of me. But ye believe not,
because ye are not of my sheep, as
I said unto you. My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they
follow me: And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand. My
Father, which gave them me, is
greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my
Father's hand. I and my Father are
one.
Then the Jews
took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, Many good
works have I shewed you from my
Father; for which of those works
do ye stone me? The Jews answered
him, saying, For a good work we
stone thee not; but for blasphemy;
and because that thou, being a
man, makest thyself God. Jesus
answered them, Is it not written
in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods, unto whom
the word of God came, and the
scripture cannot be broken; Say ye
of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the
world, Thou blasphemest; because I
said, I am the Son of God? If I do
not the works of my Father,
believe me not. But if I do,
though ye believe not me, believe
the works: that ye may know, and
believe, that the Father is in me,
and I in him. Therefore they
sought again to take him: but he
escaped out of their hand",
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Jesus returns to Jerusalem for Hanukkah and escapes stoning at the
temple
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