The Western Wall during Holy Week

The Western Wall is located near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The wall is part of the original wall for the temple structure, standing even though the temple itself was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans. My personal experience visiting the Western Wall and the Temple Mount was very interesting. You cannot approach the wall unless you are dressed appropriately, with head-coverings, for example. And the men are separated from the women by that white panel shown in this image. I took this photograph from the covered ramp that leads up the Temple Mount. Our guide could not accompany us into the Temple Mount area because he was Jewish, and he cautioned us that at the security checkpoint they would confiscate any Bibles if we had them on our person.

Some factual tidbits I found during my fact checks? (1) The Western Wall, as it exists today, is merely a retaining wall for the original temple compound. (2) The term “wailing wall” has fallen out of use because it was considered derogatory towards the Jews who gathered at the wall. (3) The Temple Mount Sifting Project has found large numbers of artifacts in soil extracted from the Temple Mount (affiliated with Bar-Ilan University and the Israel Archaeology Foundation). (4) Many of the papers slipped into the cracks of the Western Wall, fall out. These are collected and buried at the Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives twice a year.

Location: Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel.

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