The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

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the Western Wall

Plate 1 by Ian Finnin.


This section of the limestone wall to our right is not part of the original foundation platform of the Jewish Temple but part of the large extension, built by King Herod


(called ‘the Great’) when he reconstructed and beautified the Second Temple. Herod’s rebuilding project, which began in 19 BCE was finished in 64 CE, decades after his death. Therefore it was largely finished by the time of Jesus’ adult ministry.

The plaza in the foreground is the Women’s section: beyond the dividing fence is the men’s section. At the far side of the men’s section there are three archways. The one on our right is the entrance to the Temple Mount Tunnel which follows the wall along that part of it which pre-dates King Herod. Here the stones are significantly huge. Tours into the tunnel may be booked and this month a new monument has been added to the tour: a large arched reception room built by King Herod. This is the most intact of Herod’s work in the city, except for ‘Solomon’s Stables’ (a topic to which I will return soon).

Much of the Temple platform is below ground level but plans to lower the plaza have been shelved because of security concerns as, in the event of trouble, it would be difficult to evacuate people who were in a deep pit.

Today the wall shows stones from many different sources and periods as it has been repaired over the ages. The most easily identified are the carefully smoothed stones of Herod’s workmen: an indented smooth margin and a smoothed projecting boss. The result is a well-crated, geometrically correct and smooth stone finish. Characteristically, stones from the earlier period, the Hasmonean Period, have a similar margin but the boss is rough, unsmoothed and projects further out. This results in a less exact and neat fi

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