The Foundation Stone in the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is believed by Jews and Muslims to be a sacred site. It is considered the place where the world was created, where Adam was formed, and where important events in Judaism and Islam occurred. The stone has a long history, including being the site of the First and Second Temples and the Dome of the Rock.
The Foundation Stone is a sacred stone in the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Foundation Stone, also called Sakhrah in Arabic, Even haShetiya in Hebrew, or simply Rock, is believed by Talmudic sages and many modern Jews to be the place from which the rest of the world was created, the first piece of the world to come into the to be. Writings dating back to the Roman period attest to the importance of the foundation stone.
The spiritual significance of the stone extends far beyond being considered the place from which the world was created. According to the Talmud, this was also where God collected the dust which was transformed into Adam and where Adam, Cain, Abel and Noah offered sacrifices to God. Modern Jews identify the rock with references to Mount Moriah in the Bible, as it is he thought the Temple Mount was built on this natural hill, the highest in the Old City of Jerusalem. Jewish sources also consider the rock where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac.
Around 1000 BC, the area is thought to have been a threshing floor owned by Arauna the Jebusite. A threshing floor is where the grain is thrown into the windy patch to separate the grain from the chaff. It helps to have it on top of a high hill, where there is a lot of wind. Conversely, this may simply be a story with a metaphorical spiritual meaning. According to the Torah, King David, the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel, purchased the floor of the threshold and built an altar around the foundation stone.
After David’s death, his son and successor, Solomon, built an elaborate temple there, now called the First Temple. This temple was the center of ancient Judaism until it was destroyed in an attack by the Babylonians in 587 BC Another temple was built on the foundation stone, which was later destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 Several hundred years later, in 691, Islamic rulers of Jerusalem built the Dome of the Rock on the site, which is the oldest existing Islamic structure and the third holiest site in Islam.
The Foundation Stone also has a special importance in Islam. According to Islamic belief, angels visited the site 2,000 years before the creation of Adam. It is also thought to be where Israfel, the angel of the trumpet, will blow his horn on the Day of Resurrection. It is considered to be the spot where Muhammad ascended to heaven on a horse, and Muslims point to a dent in the rock which they say is an imprint of this departure. Beneath the foundation stone is a cavern known as the Well of Souls. The Well of Souls is sometimes thought of as the traditional hiding place for the Ark of the Covenant.
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