TEMPLES LOCATION FOUND

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Tornado hits New Orleans area; 1 dead. 3-Nasty Midwest storm targets Northeast next. 4-Ireland examines tsunami early warning system. 5-Heavy B.C. snowpack could spell trouble. 6-EU sanctions cannot stop Iran bomb, memo says. 7-Sarkozy says Merkel is interested in mini-treaty. 9-Olmert caved to Muslims on Temple Mount. 10-Temple's location found,says Israeli archaeologist.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Wed Feb 14 12:16 AM EDT

FEB 13,07
MAP 2.5 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.1 BANDA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.7 OREGON
MAP 2.9 OREGON
MAP 4.5 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
MAP 5.2 ECUADOR
MAP 2.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.2 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.2 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 4.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA

FEB 12,07
MAP 2.7 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 MONA PASSAGE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAP 5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.3 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.8 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.9 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 6.1 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 5.9 AZORES-CAPE ST. VINCENT RIDGE
MAP 3.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 3.3 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 5.0 NORTHEAST OF TAIWAN
MAP 5.8 NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.7 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Tornado hits New Orleans area; 1 dead By KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press Writer FEB 13,07

NEW ORLEANS - A powerful storm and likely a tornado hit the New Orleans area early Tuesday, killing an elderly woman, injuring at least 15 other people, and damaging dozens of business and homes in a region still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. An 86-year-old woman died in the city's Gentilly neighborhood, one of the areas hit hardest by Katrina 18 months earlier.Another powerful storm cell hit south-central Louisiana, damaging buildings in New Iberia and on the outskirts of Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, but there were no reports of injuries.In the New Orleans area, FEMA trailers were tossed around, homes collapsed, and the wind tore the roof off a hotel across the river in Westwego. At least 10 structures were destroyed in New Orleans, said James Ross, a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin. Dozens of other homes and businesses were damaged in Westwego, Mayor Robert Billiot said.

There is just so much destruction, Billiot said.

About 20,000 people were without power in New Orleans, Westwego, and Metairie, a spokesman for Entergy Corp. said. Public, private and parochial schools in Westwego closed for the day. Xavier University in New Orleans shut down for the day because it had no power, said spokesman Warren Bell.Kevin Gillespie's trailer in Westwego was pulled five feet and shoved next to his steps so he couldn't open the door. The Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer behind his was pulled from its moorings and flipped into his back yard, Gillespie said.My next-door neighbors, they had just moved back into their house from (Hurricane) Katrina. Now it's totaled out again, he said.He didn't know how badly his own belongings were damaged; a crew had only just cut off the gas. But the storm removed every vehicle he owned: My car, pickup, motorbike and trailer all went away.

Still, he said, as dawn arrived, The more damage I see there, the more fortunate we are.At one point, emergency workers in New Orleans' uptown neighborhood scrambled to clear a downed magnolia tree so an ambulance could get by.John Carolan, 50, who lives in the neighborhood, said he was awakened by the storm and got up in time to get into a closet with his wife.

Ten seconds and it was over, he said.He said the storm blew the furniture from his porch into the street.Radar data provides pretty convincing evidence there was a tornado, said meteorologist Robert Ricks in the National Weather Service office in Slidell. He said the damage appeared to be from one storm cell that was behind a squall line moving east, he said.It should be an improving trend the rest of the day, Ricks said.

Ireland examines tsunami early warning system FEB 13,07

DUBLIN (AFP) - Ireland is to examine setting up a tsunami early warning system, even though such a threat is believed to be remote, Marine and Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey said. Dempsey said it will involve representatives of a number of ministries and state agencies like the meteorological service, the geological survey office and the marine institute.Although the probability of a tsunami along Irish coastlines is statistically very small, the EU has decided to fast track a number of initiatives aimed at predicting such events, Dempsey said.The International Oceanographic Commission (IOC), in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), is currently coordinating international efforts to deliver an initial system in the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean by end 2007 which will focus on linking up national systems.Dempsey said the committee will develop a fully designed and costed proposal for the Irish early warning system which will feed into the international efforts.Specific proposals for the implementation of the system will be brought to government for approval later in 2007, Dempsey said.

There is historical evidence that the south coast of Ireland experienced a tsunami following an earthquake that devastated Lisbon in Portugal in 1755.There is also geological evidence that Ireland may have experienced the effects of similar tsunamis in pre-historic times.In December 2004, more than 220,000 people were killed as a massive tsunami battered Indian Ocean coasts.The tragedy led to worldwide calls for a more effective tsunami response system -- including both the technology to predict the disasters and the means to get the message out.

Ireland has very little seismic activity.

In December 2005, an earthquake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale occurred in the Irish Sea off Bray Head south of Dublin but no damage was caused.It occurred in an area close to where there was a 3.7 magnitude earthquake in 1951.The largest recorded earthquake in the Irish Sea area measured 5.4 on the Richter scale and had its epicentre on the Lleyn Peninsula in Wales in 1984. Structural damage was minor and it was only weakly felt in Ireland.

Nasty Midwest storm targets Northeast next Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

Northeast

A powerful winter storm will slam the Northeast tomorrow. Over two feet of wind-blown snow may bury portions of Upstate New York (including locations still digging out from lake-effect snows neck deep to a giraffe), northwest Pennsylvania and northern Vermont. Lesser but still hearty amounts will coat other parts of the interior, but in some spots the snow will give way to a treacherous mix of sleet and freezing rain. The most likely targets for this nastiness: northern Virginia, Maryland, eastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York and southern New England. Winds will increase dramatically as the storm strengthens during the day, and blizzard conditions could do some saber rattling in a few locations. Meanwhile, the big cities of the Megalopolis may see enough warming for the precipitation to change over to rain, but as cold air charges back in behind the storm later in the day, the precipitation could flop back briefly to snow. Not only that, but a quick drop in temperature could flash freeze any standing water or slush. High temperatures are expected to range from the teens in the heavy snow areas to the low 50s in southeast Virginia.

Midwest

Bitter cold winds will lash the Midwest and Plains tomorrow. Light snow and flurries will add to the wintry feel of the day on the Plains from South Dakota to Kansas. Lake-effect snows, meanwhile, will stream southward off Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. The Lake Michigan snow band may blow southward along the Illinois-Indiana border. Simultaneously, light snow from today's storm may loiter over southeast Michigan, Ohio and eastern Kentucky through much of the day. High temperatures will range from the single digits in the northern Plains, much of Minnesota and northwest Iowa to the 20s in southeast Kansas, much of Missouri, the Ohio River Valley and Kentucky.

South

Windy, cold conditions will dominate the South tomorrow, Florida excepted. High temperatures are forecast to range from near 20 in the Oklahoma Panhandle to the low 80s in far south Florida. Most of the Deep South will top out in the 30s, 40s and 50s, north to south. Precipitation, meanwhile, will be limited to just a few areas: the Carolinas--a few morning showers; the Appalachians--scattered afternoon snow showers; and western Oklahoma and northwest Texas--some light snow or snow showers.

West

A Pacific front will push rain into western Washington and western Oregon tomorrow. Farther east, areas of light snow and snow showers will reach from western and southern Montana southward through Wyoming and Colorado into northern New Mexico. A few snow showers may dot Utah' mountains. Rain and snow showers are expected in parts of Arizona (mainly the mountains and high plateaus) and southern New Mexico. Sunshine will rule in Southern California. High temperatures will range from the single digits in far eastern Montana to the 70s in the lower Colorado River Valley. Readings in the 20s, 30s and 40s will prevail across the Intermountain region.

Heavy B.C. snowpack could spell trouble
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 CBC News

Snowpack levels across B.C. are at their highest levels since 1999, according to the latest figures from the B.C. Environment Ministry, raising concerns about spring flooding in the Fraser Valley.The heavy storms that pounded the B.C. coast from late October to mid-January caused flooding, power outages and boil-water advisories — and there could be still more impact in the next few months.

Allan Chapman of the provincial river forecast centre said the heavy precipitation has left a deep blanket of snow on the mountains. When that snow melts it feeds the river systems leading down to the Lower Fraser River.Up in the Upper Fraser, the Nechako and the Skeena [rivers], the snow is generally between 160 and 140 per cent of normal, he told CBC News.That means scientists are watching the weather, said Chapman, noting a warm spring would mean a fast runoff, which could produce flooding.

Questions about dike safety

A report released by the Fraser Basin Council last fall showed that the current system of dikes would not be able to hold back record Fraser River water levels.Steve Litke, who headed the study, said that would mean flooding for tens of thousands of people living in the Fraser Valley.What we found was the predicted water levels would over-top the dikes in one or more levels basically along the Lower Fraser from Chilliwack to Pitt Meadows, he said.And in a number of other places, the water levels are high enough that it could compromise the integrity of the dikes and cause dike failures.More than 20 Fraser Valley communities are protected by more than 300 km of diking.

EU sanctions cannot stop Iran bomb, memo says
13.02.2007 - 09:27 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

EU foreign ministers have clinched a deal on sanctions against Iran over the country's refusal to halt uranium enrichment. But an internal EU memo suggests sanctions can do little to stop Tehran from getting the bomb. Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday (12 February) agreed on restrictive measures against Iran in line with a UN security council resolution adopted last December.The EU sanctions will: ban the supply of enrichment-related goods, technology or assistance; block Iranian officials linked to the nuclear scheme from traveling to the EU; freeze the assets of bomb-related institutions and stop Iranian students abroad from studying enrichment-related subjects. But before the EU gave the green light to the measures, the ministers received an internal memo from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana which argued that international diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions have proved ineffective in changing Iran policy.

Technical limitations rather than diplomatic pressure have so far delayed the completion of the country's nuclear programme, the paper said according to the Financial Times.At some stage we must expect that Iran will acquire the capacity to enrich uranium on the scale required for a weapons programme, the UK daily quotes the so-called reflection paper as saying. The problems with Iran will not be resolved through economic sanctions alone, the document added. The news comes just days after US diplomats urged Europe to take tougher measures against Tehran, suggesting that financial sanctions are especially effective.The Solana paper could also be used by advocates of military action who argue that if nothing concrete is done Iran will obtain nuclear capacity in 2010. The US this week presented findings that Iran is supplying arms to Iraqi insurgents in a report seen by some analysts as a prelude to war.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later said in a rare interview on US TV We think there are wise people in the US who would stop such illegal actions.International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed El Baradei will on 21 February deliver a report to the UN Security Council on Iran's compliance with demands put forth in the December resolution.He is expected to again call for Iran to suspend its nuclear development program and for the UN to lift the sanctions so that dialogue can restart, AP reports. The two parties need to take a timeout, Mr El Baradei said on Monday after meeting Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt. Sanctions are an important tool, but sanctions alone will not solve the issue.

Sarkozy says Merkel is interested in mini-treaty
13.02.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Mark Beunderman

French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy has claimed that his idea of a mini-treaty replacing the European constitution is now also raising interest with German chancellor Angela Merkel. After talks with Ms Merkel in Berlin on Monday (12 February), the centre-right frontrunner in the French presidential race said that although Ms Merkel cannot publicly admit this, she is in fact sympathetic to his proposals for a slimmed-down version of the EU constitution. Of course we understand that given the European as well as German responsibilities that she has, Ms Merkel cannot go public with all of her thinking, he said according to press reports. But I believe that there is a big understanding, a big comprehension, and that the idea of a simplified treaty is an idea which at least raises a lot of interest.

Mr Sarkozy last year proposed a mini treaty salvaging only the institutional reforms of the constitution while ditching most of the values- and policy parts of the text. It would provide a way out for those countries that voted 'no' without humiliating those who voted yes, he said in Brussels in September, with France rejecting the constitution in a 2005 popular referendum. The mini-treaty idea has so far met resistance in Berlin, which currently holds the EU presidency and which seeks to revive as much of the current constitutional text as possible. Ms Merkel did not want to comment on the talks with Mr Sarkozy on Monday, according to newspaper reports. The German chancellor is very preoccupied to find a way out of the institutional blockade [of the EU] and I believe that we have found common understanding, Mr Sarkozy said however.

Mr Sarkozy's statements come despite strong and consistent German public support for the entire EU constitution text, which Berlin has already ratified like 17 other EU capitals. Earlier reports have however suggested that circles in Ms Merkel's and Mr Sarkozy's political parties - belonging to the same European conservative political family - are in close informal contact to find common ground between Berlin and Paris. But Mr Sarkozy's claim that he has German support for his mini-treaty plan also sheds light on his intense campaign for the French presidency, with polls currently showing him ahead of socialist contender Segolene Royal.

Olmert caved to Muslims on Temple Mount
Israeli PM criticized for approving plan for minaret, but not synagogue
Posted: February 12, 2007 10:40 a.m. Eastern By Aaron Klein WorldNetDaily.com

Temple Mount

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to allow Muslims to construct a massive minaret on the Temple Mount will embolden the enemies of the Jewish state and signal that violence and terrorism are working, according to a group of prominent rabbinic leaders in Israel. The Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of more than 300 Israeli rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis, said in a statement today Olmert does not have the moral or historic right to hand over even one inch of Israeli territory to foreigners.The mere fact of giving up sovereignty of the Temple Mount – the holiest site of the Jewish People – is an indication of how far the Israeli government has deteriorated and is prepared to forfeit Jewish rights and ownership of Israel granted in our holy Torah, the most authoritative book in the world, the rabbis said. The rabbis were responding to a story first reported by WND that Olmert granted permission to Jordan to construct a large minaret at a site on the Temple Mount where Jewish groups here had petitioned to build a synagogue. A minaret is a tower usually attached to a mosque from which Muslims are called to the five Islamic daily prayers.

There are four minarets on the Temple Mount. The new minaret will be the largest one yet. It will be the first built on the Temple Mount in more than 600 years and is slated to tower over the walls of Jerusalem's old city. It will reside next to the Al-Marwani Mosque, located at the site of Solomon's Stables. Aryeh Eldad, a Knesset member from Israel's National Union party, last year drew up plans with Jewish groups to build a synagogue near the Marwani Mosque. The synagogue was to be built in accordance with rulings from several prominent rabbis, who said Jews can ascend the Mount at certain areas. A top leader of the Waqf told WND Olmert's granting of permission to build the minaret in the synagogue's place "confirms 100-percent the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) belongs to Muslims.This proves Jewish conspiracies for a synagogue will never succeed and solidifies our presence here. It will make Muslims worldwide more secure that the Jews will never take over the Haram al-Sharif, the Waqf official said.

Sources in the Jordanian monarchy and the Waqf told WND Olmert last month gave Jordan's King Abdullah official permission to build the minaret. The sources said the minaret will rise 130 feet above the ancient walls of Jerusalem. A senior Olmert adviser confirmed to WND the Israeli prime minister told Abdullah he will allow the minaret's construction. The adviser said he could not speak on the record because Israel has been waiting for an opportune time to officially announce permission for the new minaret. The Rabbinic Congress for Peace said Olmert's allowing construction of the new minaret poses a grave threat to the security of Israel. It will embolden the enemies of the Jewish state to believe their tactics of violence and terrorism are paying off and that Israel is in retreat.We have already witnessed in the past the use of the Temple Mount as a pretence to launch violence and murder Jews, the Rabbis stated.

The Temple Mount has long been used by Palestinians to start violence.

The Palestinian intifada that began in 2000 started with rock-throwing on the Temple Mount after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the holy site. The past few days, Muslim leaders worldwide have been criticizing Israeli renovation work near the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem to replace a ramp that provides access to a gate leading to the Mount. Muslim leaders claim Israel is trying to weaken the foundations of the Mount. The Israeli government contends the work, taking place in the Jewish Quarter outside the Temple Mount, poses no threat whatsoever to the Mount, but the mayor of Jerusalem yesterday postponed construction of the new gate. In October, King Abdullah announced plans to build the fifth minaret, although at the time the Jordanians reportedly did not have Israel's permission to commence construction. Abdullah said the minaret would bear the symbol of the Jordanian monarchy. The Temple Mount's first minaret was constructed on the southwest corner in 1278, the second was built in 1297 by order of a Mameluke king, the third by a governor of Jerusalem in 1329 and the last in 1367.

Prominent Israeli archeologist Gabi Barkai of Tel Aviv University slammed the new minaret plans.

I am against any change in the status quo on the Temple Mount. If the status quo is being changed, then it should not just be the addition of Muslim structures at the site, Barkai said. Rabbi Chaim Richman, director of the international department at Israel's Temple Institute, told WND Olmert's decision to allow the minaret is repugnant to anyone who knows what it is to be a Jew.The decision and Israel's general attitude toward the Temple Mount is the manifestation of spiritual bankruptcy in the country's leadership. Olmert is turning his back on our Jewish heritage while the rest of the world looks at us with amazement at how we can be so insensitive to our own spiritual legacy.
Al Aqsa mosque built by angels?

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. For Muslims, it is Islam's third holiest site.

The First Jewish Temple was built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of about four centuries. The Jewish Temple was the center of religious Jewish worship. It housed the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was said to be the area upon which God's presence dwelt. The Al Aqsa Mosque now sits on the site. The temple served as the primary location for the offering of sacrifices and was the main gathering place in Israel during Jewish holidays. The Temple Mount compound has remained a focal point for Jewish services over the millennia. Prayers for a return to Jerusalem have been uttered by Jews since the Second Temple was destroyed, according to Jewish tradition. Jews worldwide pray facing toward the Western Wall, a portion of an outer courtyard of the Temple left intact. The Al Aqsa Mosque was constructed around A.D. 709 to serve as a shrine near another shrine, the Dome of the Rock, which was built by an Islamic caliph. Al Aqsa was meant to mark the place where Muslims came to believe Muhammad, the founder of Islam, ascended to heaven.

Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran. Islamic tradition states Muhammad took a journey in a single night from a sacred mosque" – believed to be in Mecca in southern Saudi Arabia – to the farthest mosque, and from a rock there ascended to heaven. The farthest mosque later became associated with Jerusalem. Most Waqf officials deny the Jewish temples ever existed in spite of what many call overwhelming archaeological evidence, including the discovery of Temple-era artifacts linked to worship, tunnels that snake under the Temple Mount and over 100 ritual immersion pools believed to have been used by Jewish priests to cleanse themselves before services. The cleansing process is detailed in the Torah. According to the website of the Palestinian Authority's Office for Religious Affairs, the Temple Mount is Muslim property. The site claims the Western Wall, which it refers to as the Al-Boraq Wall, previously was a docking station for horses. It states Muhammad tied his horse, named Boraq, to the wall before ascending to heaven. In an interview with WND, Kamal Hatib, vice-chairman of the Islamic Movement, which will take part in the podium installation ceremonies, claimed the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built by angels and that a Jewish Temple may have existed, but not in Jerusalem. The Movement, which works closely with the Waqf, is the Muslim group in Israel most identified with the Temple Mount.

When the First Temple was built by Solomon – God bless him – Al Aqsa was already built. We don't believe that a prophet like Solomon would have built the Temple at a place where a mosque existed, said Hatib. And all the historical and archaeological facts deny any relation between the temples and the location of Al Aqsa, he continued. We must know that Jerusalem was occupied and that people left many things, coins and other things everywhere. This does not mean in any way that there is a link between the people who left these things and the place where these things were left.

Al Aqsa official: Jewish temples existed

Last June, in a widely circulated WND interview, a former senior leader of the Waqf contradicted his colleagues, saying he has come to believe the first and second Jewish Temples existed and stood at the current location of the Al Aqsa Mosque. The leader, who was dismissed from his Waqf position after he quietly made his beliefs known, said Al Aqsa custodians passed down stories for centuries from generation to generation indicating the mosque was built at the site of the former Jewish temples.
He said the Muslim world's widespread denial of the existence of the Jewish temples is political in nature and not rooted in facts. Prophet Solomon built his famous Temple at the same place that later the Al Aqsa Mosque was built. It cannot be a coincidence that these different holy sites were built at the same place. The Jewish Temple Mount existed, said the former senior Waqf leader, speaking to WND from an apartment in an obscure alley in Jerusalem's Old City. The former leader, who is well known to Al Aqsa scholars and Waqf officials, spoke on condition his name be withheld, claiming an on-the-record interview would endanger his life. He told WND true Islamic tradition relates the Jewish temples once stood at the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque. [The existence of the Jewish Temple at the site is obvious] according to studies, researches and archaeological signs that we were also exposed to. But especially according to the history that passed from one generation to another – we believe Al Aqsa was built on the same place were the Temple of the Jews – the first monotheistic religion – existed.

He cited samples of some stories he said were related orally by Islamic leaders:

We learned that the Christians, especially those who believed that Jesus was crucified by the Jews, used to throw their garbage at the Temple Mount site. They used to throw the pieces of cotton and other material Christian women used in cleaning the blood of their monthly cycle. Doing so, they believed that they were humiliating, insulting and harming the Jews at their holiest site. This way they are hurting them like Jews hurt Christians when crucifying Jesus. It is known also that most of the first guards of Al Aqsa when it was built were Jews. The Muslims knew at that time that they could not find any more loyal and faithful than the Jews to guard the mosque and its compound. They knew that the Jews have a special relation with this place.

Temple Mount: No-prayer zone

Currently, even though the Jewish state controls Jerusalem, the Waqf serve as the custodians of the Temple Mount under a deal made with the Israeli government that restricts non-Muslim prayer at the site. The Temple Mount was opened to the general public until September 2000, when the Palestinians started their intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the area. Following the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians. The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003. It still is open but only Sundays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and not on any Christian, Jewish or Muslim holidays or other days considered sensitive by the Waqf. During open days, Jews and Christian are allowed to ascend the Mount, usually through organized tours and only if they conform first to a strict set of guidelines, which includes demands that they not pray or bring any holy objects to the site. Visitors are banned from entering any of the mosques without direct Waqf permission. Rules are enforced by Waqf agents, who watch tours closely and alert nearby Israeli police to any breaking of their guidelines

Temple's location found,says Israeli archaeologist - Study of ancient cisterns pinpoints sacred site,– Muslim Dome of the Rock outside confines Posted: February 11, 2007 - WorldNetDaily.com

Using maps created in 1866 by a British explorer and passages from the Jewish Mishnah, an Israeli archaeologist and professor at Hebrew University says he has pinpointed the location of the sacred Jewish Temple, twice built and twice destroyed in ancient times. While popular consensus places the Temple, built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. and rebuilt by Jews who returned from Babylon in the 5th century B.C., on the site of the present Muslim Dome of the Rock, Prof. Joseph Patrich says archaeological remains show its exact location – and the consensus is wrong.

Dome of the Rock on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, facing west.

According to Patrich, the Temple, its corresponding courtyards, chambers and gates were oriented in a more southeasterly direction, sitting diagonally on what is the modern Temple Mount. The difference in orientation and the placement further eastward varies from the east-facing orientation of other scholars who believe the Temple was closer to today's Western Wall. However, that difference is why, Patrich says, the Temple did not sit over the rock believed by Jews to be the site where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac and where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended into heaven. Patrich's siting of the Temple is derived from information collected by British engineer Sir Charles Wilson in 1866 on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Wilson mapped a series of ancient cisterns below the present Temple Mount platform. One of those, Patrich says, preserves a vestige of the Temple that stood until it was destroyed by Rome in A.D. 70. The cistern mapped by Wilson, approximately 15 feet wide, 170 feet long and 45 feet deep, was located near the Temple Mount's southeast corner. It was oriented in a southeasterly direction with branches extending north and south.

Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D., facing northeast. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer) Until now no one has ever thought that the location of the cistern on the Temple Mount and its unique shape were derived from the shape and location of the altar and sanctuary, Patrich told YNetNews. According to the archaeologist, this cistern is the only one found on the Temple Mount that corresponds to descriptions in the Jewish Mishnah – the rabbinic oral tradition compiled in the 3rd century A.D. – of daily purification and sacrificial duties carried out by the priests on the altar in the Temple courtyard. The Mishnah says water was drawn by a waterwheel mechanism from a cistern and held in a large basin, or laver, for daily purification by the Temple's priests before they ascended the nearby ramp to the altar to offer sacrifices. Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D. overlaid on modern Temple Mount. Octagonal feature is Dome of the Rock. Diagram is oriented east up. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer)

Patrich believes the placement of the waterwheel and laver can be reconstructed from Wilson's map of the giant southeast-trending cistern and from that, the location of the altar and the Temple itself.

Patrich's siting has the Temple further east and south of locations proposed by other scholars and diagonal, rather than perpendicular to the Temple Mount's eastern and western walls. It also leaves the rock in the Dome of the Rock outside of the confines of the Temple itself. Patrich said his research on the Temple's location is strictly academic, and political connotations should not be attributed to it.