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The stones of the Har Habayis walls

2/19/2022

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  In the present-day walls of Har Habayis, there are two types of stones from the time of the Beis Hamikdash, one from the time of the first Beis Hamikdash, and one from the times of Hurdus. The stones are mostly between three and four feet tall (approximately one meter), and around five feet (1.5 meters) thick, but their length has no standard size, with some stones being very short and some being very long. 

   Each course of stones is set back a little from the course under it. This was done to strengthen the wall, since these walls were very tall, up to 100 meters, and had to withstand the pressure of the dirt fill of the Har Habayis. These setbacks are generally between one and a half and two and a half inches (three to six centimeters), while in the east wall, since the wall was taller, (because it started on a lower level,) they are between three and four inches (7 to 10 cm), and in one course, the setback is six inches (15 cm).
Picture
​Both the earlier and later stones have marginal drafts, the difference between the two types being that in the Herodian stones, the middle of the stone, the boss, is flat, and only projects from the margins between 1/2 and 1 1/2 centimeters, while in the earlier type of stones, the boss projects much more, and is not flat, but bulges out. The margins are between five and twelve centimeters (around two to five inches), but the top margin is usually wider than the other ones. In the Herodian stone, these margins were created with a chisel that had eight teeth per inch, with was run in a crisscross pattern. The bosses of the Herodian stones also have a sub-margin. 

    When the stones were quarried, the masons left small square projections of about 12 cm (4 in), on either side of the stone. These projections had ropes placed around them, and were used to lift and transport the stones. When the stones were put into the Har Habayis walls, these projections were usually cut off, however sometimes they were left, and you can still see stones in the walls that have these projections.

Picture
One of the stones by the southeast corner with the projection still on
Picture
The two types of stones in the Har Habayis walls, to the left, the Herodian stones, and to the right, the Solomonic stones (Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
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  • Beis Hamikdash posts
  • sources
    • Mishnayos Middos >
      • משניות מדות עם מפרשים
      • משניות זכר חנוך
      • English Mishnayos Middos
      • Ezras Kohanim part 1
      • Ezras Kohanim part 2
      • Beis Hamiddos
    • Gemarah
    • Rambam >
      • Rambam (with נושאי כלים)
      • Lubavitcher Rebbe's Biurim
      • מעשי למלך על משנה תורה
      • likutey rambam
    • ראבי"ה סימן א' קמ"ה
    • SeMaG
    • כפתור ופרח פרק ו
    • Sha'alos Uteshuvos HaRaDVaZ
    • Shiltey Hagibborim
    • Ma'aseh Choshev
    • Chanukas Habayis (both) and biur Maharam Kazis on middos
    • diagrams >
      • Tosfos Yom Tov's diagram
      • Reb Yehonasan's diagram
      • Tiferes Yisroel's diagram
      • Lubavitcher rebbe's edits to a diagram of the Beis Hamikdash
    • Tavnis Heichal
    • Be'er Hagolah
    • Kuntres Hamoded
    • Binyan Ariel
    • Shevet Yehudah
    • from Josephus-יוסיפון >
      • Antiquities of the jews 8:3
      • Antiquities of the Jews 15:11
      • war of the Jews
      • Yosifun יוסיפון
    • קובץ מעלין בקדש
  • Gallery
  • videos
    • First Beis Hamikdash
    • second Beis Hamikdash videos
    • Third Beis Hamikdash videos
    • avodah videos
  • 1st Beis Hamikdash
  • 3rd Beis Hamikdash
  • virtual walkthroughs
    • First Beis Hamikdash
    • Third Beis Hamikdash
    • Second Beis Hamikdash (Pre-Herodian)
  • 3d models
  • Lego Gallery
  • diagram of Mizbeach
  • contact