Presale and sponsorship
After many years of dedicated work, Mount Moriah – A History of the Temple Mount, authored by Meir Antopolsky and due to be published by the Meeting Place Association, is finally nearing completion. The book is now in its final layout stage and is being prepared for publication.
We invite you to learn more about the book below. If you find the project worthwhile, please consider supporting it by pre-ordering a copy, becoming a sponsor of its publication (see below), or simply sharing this page with friends who may also be interested.
The importance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for Judaism and for the Jewish People – as well as for Islam and Christianity – needs no explanation. This tiny geographical spot is the focus of intense public interest. Unfortunately, it has also been associated with tensions and conflict. While no full-scale archaeological study of this complex has ever been undertaken, a significant body of sound scientific information has accumulated over the years. While there are many publications that describe this sacred space, the existing literature on the Temple Mount is inherently one-sided: Muslim literature on al-Aqsa tends to deny historical facts regarding the First and Second Temples, and to ignore or distort archeological data. Jewish religious publications (such as materials produced by the Temple Institute) completely ignore any Muslim or Christian connection to the site. Academic editions, such as the otherwise excellent works by Professor Oleg Grabar of Harvard University – tend to ignore the Jewish religious connection to the Temple Mount or to present Jewish presence there in a negative light.
This situation of conflicting narratives offers no basis for interfaith dialogue. We therefore sought to prepare an overview that would integrate existing historical and archeological information with Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious narratives. Interestingly, these narratives are not totally independent or contradictory; while conflict does exist, there is also deep connection and interplay of religious traditions.
The book comprises two parts. In the first part, we not only tell the story of the complex from prehistory until modern times, based on archeological data and on ancient and medieval literary sources, but also try to demonstrate the deep interconnections of narratives. We read Muslim and Christian narratives concerning the Temple Mount as rooted in Jewish tradition, and all three influencing one another – despite (and sometimes as a result of) incessant and bitter struggle. Of course, this text, too, is not strictly neutral: despite the author’s efforts to be objective and fair, the fact that he is an Orthodox Jew who has regularly visited the Temple Mount for many years could not help but leave its mark on the book.
However, the book is much more than a collection of narratives. Woven around them is a three-thousand-year history of the construction, reconstruction, and destruction of dozens of its buildings, great and small, the changing religious practices associated with the site, the administration of the complex, and the evolving rules governing who was permitted—and who was forbidden—to enter the sacred precinct.
Our photographer, Andrey Zeigarnik, prepared an album including hundreds of pictures of every detail of the sacred complex; we chose the most relevant among them, together with a collection of historical photos that show the changes that the buildings have undergone over the last 160 years. Altogether, the book includes close to 170 illustrations, including maps, most of them in color and original.
The second part of the book presents a selection of religious and historical texts. Starting with relevant chapters from Bible, Mishna and Hellenistic sources, it proceeds with an array of later descriptions of the complex — Muslim, Christian and Jewish. The texts, translated from Hebrew, Greek, Armenian, Arabic, Persian, Syrian, Ancient Russian, Latin and German, are accompanied by scholarly commentary.
The Table of Contents can be viewed here.
Pre-sale and appeal for sponsors.
Printing a book of this size — 560 pages, hardcover, large format, and full color — is a very expensive undertaking. We expect the print run to be completed by the end of October 2026, or shortly thereafter.
We invite you to participate in realizing this project:
- Become a Major Sponsor with a donation of $1,000. Your dedication (in memory of /in honor of family or friends) will be printed in the book in a prominent format (up to 150 characters, in large type and enclosed in a decorative frame). You will also receive two complimentary copies of the book.
- Become a Supporting Sponsor with a donation of $500. Your dedication will also be included in the book, in a more modest format (up to 150 characters, in smaller type and without a frame). You will receive one complimentary copy of the book.
Sponsorship donations are tax-deductible, and official tax-deductible receipts are available for donors in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It can be done here:
- Pre-order the book at a cost of ₪250, including delivery within Israel. The print run will be limited to 200–300 copies, and only a pre-order can guarantee that you will receive a copy.
Pre-order ₪250: https://mrng.to/Oan7bWt8Ni
