Temple Mount

The Temple Mount
State Medal, 5742-1982

The Temple Mount is Mount Moriah, the religious national center of the Jewish people, the location of the sacred stone (occupied the place of the Ark during the Second Temple), the reputed location of the sacrificing of Isaac. This is where King Solomon erected the First Temple and brought into it the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant. Seventy years after the Babylonians destroyed the Temple, the Second Temple was erected there by those returning to Zion. In later times, the Romans filled the place with altars to various idols, the Arabs made it into a central shrine of Islam, the Crusaders converted the mosques into churches, the Moslems returned to the Mount in 1871. The Dome of the Rock, where the sacred stone is to be found, and El Aksa, the location of the royal residence during the Second Commonwealth, are among the sacred shrines of Islam. As for Jews, to whom entry to the Temple Mount was barred, the Western Wall, the outer section of the Western Wall surrounding the Mount during the second temple was converted into the place for prayer and mourning over the destruction of the temple - a focal point of Jewish aspirations for complete redemption.

Obverse: The Western Wall and the two mosques. The legend 'Temple Mount" in Hebrew and English.

Reverse: A reconstructed three dimensional map of Jerusalem discovered in the floor mosaic of a 6th century church ruin. Jerusalem and her walls are shown together with the spires and representative buildings. (The Temple Mount area is seen on the upper part of the map.) The legend "Jerusalem" in Hebrew and English.

Edge: The State emblem and the words "State of Israel" in Hebrew and English. The silver medals bear "Silver 935" in Hebrew and "Silver" in English. The gold medals 22mm bear " G 585". The 13mm have a milled edge.

Serialization: All medals with a smooth edge are numbered. Designer Gideon Kaich.

Engraving: Tidhar Dagan.

Mint: Bronze and Gold 13mm - Kretschmer. Silver and Gold 22mm - Israel Government Mint,Jerusalem.