Hunting...and Hunting for the Temple

Up to our hips in sleeping bags and bright orange hunting gear...the Brick is headed out this weekend, Daughter #2 in tow, to see if he can fill his elk license.
     Daughter #1 is headed another direction, along with friends, to see if she can do the same! 

I watch everybody's dogs while they're gone, and hopefully get some work done, as well. If it runs true to form, there will be a warm hairy canine pile on the bed these weekend nights. It's getting chilly here. You want that -- the cold brings the snow in, and drives the animals down from high up. Makes the evening campfires more pleasant, too. 
    I have one pot of white chili done, fragrant with green chilies and chicken broth, pinto beans and tender chunks of white meat chicken. Red chili's next; that way, they can just heat it up when they get back to the camper, cold and hungry. 

Yes, I could go hunting, too. But the Brick loves being with his daughters -- and they enjoy spoiling him. And who would look after all those dogs...

Watch out, buddy...they're coming!

* * * * * * * * *

We just finished an incredible book: Temple by Robert Cornuke. A former criminal investigator, Cornuke has applied those skills to any number of Biblical mysteries, including the locations of Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant. (No, Indiana Jones didn't get it right. The Ark of the Covenant, by all evidence, is being held secretly at a church in, of all places, Ethiopia, according to Cornuke.)

    His question: What if the original site of King Solomon's Temple, and Herod's after him, is NOT the Temple Mount?

Jews have been advocating to rebuild the Temple for generations, but one of the things stopping them is that the Temple Mount, also known as the "Noble Sanctuary" (and containing both the Dome of the Rock, shown above, as well as the Dome of the Chain) is also a sacred spot for Muslims. The rock in the center of the complex, the Foundation Stone, is said to have been where Mohammed's horse caught his hoof during a wild heavenward ride. But tradition also says that it was the site of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac -- and the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple.

    The Wailing Wall nearby (also called the Western Wall, or "Kotel"), traditionally considered the last remnant of Herod's temple, has been the spot of prayers, music and worship for thousands of years -- including for reverent Jews who wish to rebuild. I had always wondered why the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem existed, when Jesus was quite clear that the Temple would be so destroyed that no stone would be left unturned.

         Cornuke's take on the matter: it's actually the wall of an ancient Roman fort! 

    If his conclusions are true -- and his evidence seems quite convincing -- then Solomon's Temple never occupied the site of the Temple Mount at all. The site is still in Jerusalem, but a considerable distance away.
     Which means it could be rebuilt with much less trouble than previously thought. 

Cornuke uses historical accounts (including Josephus) and recent archeological finds to make his point. (It will give you a whole new viewpoint on the classic hymn, 'There Is A Fountain Filled with Blood.' Just saying.)
            Surprisingly He. Makes. Sense.

There's more discussion about the Ark of the Covenant, too. This book is worth reading slowly, and discussing each chapter as you go.