Hi hipraiser-ga:
Thank you for the interesting question. I'll do my best to
provide you with an overview as well as links to more detailed
information.
First thing you need to understand is that most scholars
believe that the Golden Gate and the Beautiful Gate are
one and the same thing. Why the two different names?
The two names likely arose because of a translation problem:
"In the earliest Greek New Testament, the word for 'beautiful' is
oraia. When Jerome translated the New Testament into Latin in the 4th
Century he changed the Greek oraia into the similar sounding Latin
aurea, rather than to the Latin word for 'beautiful.' So the Latin
Vulgate text read 'Golden Gate' instead of 'Beautiful Gate.'"
(Biblical Archaeological Review, Jan/Feb 1983, p.27).
(From now on, I'll refer to the gate as the "Golden Gate".)
Origin of the Golden Gate:
"The Golden Gate is the most important and most impressive gate in
Jerusalem, and the only visible entrance to the city of Jerusalem from
the East. This oldest of all the gates to the city was the only one
not rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent in AD 1539-42. Monolithic
stones in the wall just above ground have been identified as 6th
Century BC masonry from the time of Nehemiah," (Biblical
Archaeological Review, Mar/Apr 1992, p40).
The gate is actually a double gate, as can be seen in the picture at
http://www.bible-history.com/gentile_court/TEMPLECOURTpop_East_Gate.htm
The North portal is known as the Gate of Repentance (Bab al-Tawba in
Arabic) and the South portal is known as the Gate of Mercy (Bab
al-Rahma).
History of the Golden Gate:
The Golden Gate is part of the Temple Mount and leads directly out to
the Mount of Olives. It is said to be the entrance Jesus used when he
rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The gate was walled up in 810 by
the Arab rulers of the day and has remained shut since that time.
The Mount of Olives:
"The 2 mile (3½ kilometers) long Mount of Olives is a flattened ridge
series located just a few hundred yards (meters) east of the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem. It rises over 200 feet (60 meters) above the
Kidron Valley which separates those two very significant places. (see
also Bible Places)
The Mount of Olives was the place where numerous events of Bible
History occurred. Many of the most important people of the Bible
walked upon it sooner or later."
URL: http://www.execulink.com/~wblank/mtolives.htm
Significance to Various Faiths:
"The Golden Gate has long interested many Muslims, most Jews and
Christians as the place of the Last Judgment. Historically, judgments
were rendered in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1, 23:10, for
instance). Since the Messiah was to come from the East (Matthew
24:27), it was concluded that his judgment would be at the eastern
gate."
URL: http://www.templemount.org/visittemp.html
Muslims:
Some Muslims believe that Allah's final judgment will occur at the
Golden Gate. They believe that Jesus (who is also a Muslim prophet)
will participate in this judgment.
Jews:
Those of the Jewish faith expect the Messiah to arrive through the
Golden Gate.
Christians:
Christians believe that when Jesus returns for his final judgment that
he will take the same path as on Palm Sunday - from the Mount of
Olives through the Golden Gate.
The Significance of Mount Moriah:
The Temple Mount itself is built on the bedrock of Mount Moriah, so
the Golden Gate is at the base of Mount Moriah.
"The Temple Mount (Heb., Har Habayit; Arabic, Haram esh-Sharif, the
Noble Sanctuary),is identified in both Jewish and Islamic tradition as
the area of Mount Moriah where Abraham offered up his son in sacrifice
(Genesis 22:1-18; the Koran, Sura Al-Saffat 37:102-110)."
URL: http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/Mount.html
See also:
http://jeru.huji.ac.il/eb22l.htm
Maps:
You can find many interesting historical maps of the Temple Mount anf
general Jerusalem area at:
http://www.usm.maine.edu/~maps/exhibit1/theme1.html
I hope I have been able to satisfy your curiousity about this
historical region. Please read the more in-depth information at each
of the URLs provided above to get an even better idea of the
significance of this area.
If you need any clarification of what I've presented here, please ask
using the Clarification process - before you rate this answer.
Thanks!
websearcher-ga
Search Strategy on Google:
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"Golden Gate" "mount moriah"
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temple mount map "mount of olives"
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Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
12 Sep 2002 09:34 PDT
Hi hipraiser:
You ask: "Please address the relationship between the Mount of Olives
and the
Golden Gate. What does history record?"
There are many "relationships" between the Mount of Olives and the
Golden Gate.
Firstly, there is the physical relationship between the two locations.
"This gate [the Golden Gate], once an entrance to the Temple Mount
area, faces the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives."
From: http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:f-Uw7ZKwJLgC:212.150.183.204/+%22golden+gate%22+%22mount+of+olives%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Golden (Mercy) Gate - Facing the Mount of Olives on the eastern side
of the Old City, this gate was constructed in the post-Byzantine
period.
From: http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/gates.html
Secondly, there are also ties between the two locations that have to
do with the future coming of the Jewish Messiah.
"There is a strong sense of pilgrimage for anyone going by foot down
the sacred Mt. of Olives. On its slopes is the holiest Jewish
graveyard in the world, where for centuries people have bought burial
plots as it is said the Messiah will walk through the Golden Gate,
facing the Mount, on Judgment Day."
From: http://www.intournet.co.il/holyland/updates/olives.html
"This is a huge ancient cemetery on the Mount of Olives. Quite a
sight. According to tradition, when the messiah comes and the Golden
Gate opens, the souls in these tombs will be first in line to move on
to eternal heaven."
From: http://www.geocities.com/eriklove99/jphoto/page1.html
"The Mount of Olives is the most prized burial ground for Orthodox
Jews, who are buried facing the 'Golden Gate' of the City, through
which, they believe, the Messiah will enter, placing them at the head
of the queue, as it were, to greet him at the resurrection of the
dead.
From: http://www.dur.ac.uk/StChads/jer2.htm
You ask: "In ancient times court would be held at the Gate of the City
- Is there any mention of this for the Golden Gate?"
While there is much reference to the Golden Gate being the site of
future (messianic) judgments, I was unable to find many direct
references to its use as a court in the past.
I did find this one reference:
"The Golden Gate has long interested many Muslims, most Jews and
Christians as the place of the Last Judgment. Historically, judgments
were rendered in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1, 23:10, for
instance). Since the Messiah was to come from the East (Matthew
24:27), it was concluded that his judgment would be at the eastern
gate."
From: http://www.templemount.org/visittemp.html
Another clue to the Golden Gate's ancient usage comes from the names
of the double gates themselves, the "Gate of Mercy" and the "Gate of
Repentance". These names certainly imply judgment and court action.
[One difficulty in searching for this information is that the word
"court" is also used to describe general gathering areas in the inner
Temple Mount.]
I hope this additional information is of help to you. :-)
websearcher-ga
Search Strategies on Google:
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"golden Gate" judgment jerusalem -bridge
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