The Antiquities Authority has uncovered some 60 meters of Western Wall foundations, leading to an exciting discovery: One unique smooth stone, unlike any other in the wall • The stone may be left over from the construction of the Second Temple.
For centuries, Jews were restricted to praying at the Western Wall, limited to a narrow alleyway near the homes of the Mughrabi Quarter. The history of the alleyway, which was known as Simtat Hakotel (Western Wall Alley), is full of rioting and tears. Pilgrims often described it as a "the pit of hell" where "crowds of Arabs stood above, deriding and mocking the Jews."
Jews were prevented from visiting the Western Wall for 19 years (the period of Jordanian rule), but Jerusalem's liberation in 1967 opened a new chapter in its history. Bulldozers removed the Mughrabi Quarter, and the Jews finally had space. Instead of a narrow alleyway of only 90 square meters, there is a large plaza with an area of more than 50,000 square meters, able to hold tens and even hundreds of thousands of people
Israel Hayom | A heart of stone
For centuries, Jews were restricted to praying at the Western Wall, limited to a narrow alleyway near the homes of the Mughrabi Quarter. The history of the alleyway, which was known as Simtat Hakotel (Western Wall Alley), is full of rioting and tears. Pilgrims often described it as a "the pit of hell" where "crowds of Arabs stood above, deriding and mocking the Jews."
Jews were prevented from visiting the Western Wall for 19 years (the period of Jordanian rule), but Jerusalem's liberation in 1967 opened a new chapter in its history. Bulldozers removed the Mughrabi Quarter, and the Jews finally had space. Instead of a narrow alleyway of only 90 square meters, there is a large plaza with an area of more than 50,000 square meters, able to hold tens and even hundreds of thousands of people
Israel Hayom | A heart of stone
