Western Wall Gallery

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The Western Wall is reached from outside the Temple Mount
It is part of the retaining wall built by Herod the Great to support the Temple platform. The massive blocks of masonry in the lower courses are from that period.
For centuries the western wall was a focal point for Jewish worship and often slips of paper are placed in the cracks between the stones. It was called the Wailing Wall because it was here that Jews lamented the destruction of the Temple. Today it is called the Western Wall.
The sacredness of the Wall is noted in Jewish writings, “it is as if he prayed before the throne of glory because the gate of heaven is situated there and it is open to hear prayer.”
The German Rabbi Jacob Ettinger writes” since the gate of heaven is near the Western Wall, it is understandable that all Israel’s prayers ascend on high there…”
Pilgrims at the Western Wall
Pilgrims at the Western Wall
Pilgrims at the Western Wall
The Sabbath Table
The Sabbath Table