Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Bev Riter
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Many people go the old Western or Wailing Wall (the stones are the only remaining part of the Second Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70) of the temple in Jerusalem to pray. As Judaism’s holiest site, this was part of the wall of the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great. Men visit and pray on the left side, while women go on the right as shown in my photo above.
The above photo shows cracks in the wall where people have placed their written prayers. The large plaza is like an open-air synagogue for reading scripture, religious services and events. This Holy City of Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish world. And the Temple was their most important place.
This 50:1 scale model of ancient Jerusalem in the year 66 AD shows the huge Second Temple on the right side. Covering about one acre in size in the Israel Museum, the model gives us a glimpse of what the city was like during the time of Jesus. Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord and make an offering. The 40-day purification had been completed according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12). They met Simeon there who the Holy Spirit had told he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Messiah. Simeon took Jesus in his arms, praised Him and blessed Him. Anna, the elderly prophetess who never left the temple also recognized Jesus as the Messiah. She then shared the Good News that the Messiah had been born! (Luke 2:22-38)
Yes, after waiting for centuries, the Messiah had finally arrived!