# Building a Jewish Temple but not on Temple Mount **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850 "2004-12-03T04:35:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/1 "2004-12-03T04:35:46Z")
While in college, my _Introduction to Hebrew Bible_ professor (may Hashem extend his days and fill his life with _nachas_) stated that there were three beliefs regarding the placement of the Temple: 1. according to the Masoretic text of the Torah, wherein the Temple was to be built on only one place, that place being the area now known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem; 2. according to the Samaritan text of the Torah, wherein the Temple was to be built on only one place, that place being Mt. Gerizim (where Samaritans continue to practice their rituals); 3. anywhere (of which the ruins of the Temple at Elephantine in Egypt are evidence). He said that the competing claims of the Masoretic Jews and Samaritans arose from traditional rivalries between both movements. And Jerusalem was specifically chosen to legitimize and promote the House of David (which came from near Jerusalem). The theory of other potential areas for the Temple or a Temple being built was shot down to emphasize that there was only one legitimate kingdom (Judah), only one legitimate ruling house (the House of David), only one legitimate temple (in Jerusalem), and only one legitimate High Priest (at the Temple in Jerusalem, near the origin of the House of David, in the Kingdom of Judah). In short: the consolidation of the belief, of there being only one possible or divinely-appointed place for the Temple, was political in origin. This having been said, what would prevent Jews from building a temple today (a real one, according to the instructions of the Bible, not the Temple-replicas that synagogues are supposed to be) on a place other than the Temple Mount? WRS/Thû ---
**Author:** ![asymptote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a4c791/32.png) [@asymptote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asymptote)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/2 "2004-12-03T04:55:54Z")
From what I remember of hebrew school, a large temple like those once on the Temple Mount would require animal sacrifices, something most modern Jews would probably not appreciate. I went to a reform synagogue and I never heard anyone suggest building a temple. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/3 "2004-12-03T05:04:39Z")
> [@WeRSauron](#): > > While in college, my _Introduction to Hebrew Bible_ professor (may Hashem extend his days and fill his life with _nachas_) stated that there were three beliefs regarding the placement of the Temple: > He said that the competing claims of the Masoretic Jews and Samaritans arose from traditional rivalries between both movements. And Jerusalem was specifically chosen to legitimize and promote the House of David (which came from near Jerusalem). Except that David lived well before there were Samaritans in the area. The Samaritans arrived only after the Ten Tribes were exiled, about 300+ years after David lived. > [@](#): > > The theory of other potential areas for the Temple or a Temple being built was shot down to emphasize that there was only one legitimate kingdom (Judah), only one legitimate ruling house (the House of David), only one legitimate temple (in Jerusalem), and only one legitimate High Priest (at the Temple in Jerusalem, near the origin of the House of David, in the Kingdom of Judah). In short: the consolidation of the belief, of there being only one possible or divinely-appointed place for the Temple, was political in origin. Except that Jewish tradition teaches that the Temple was actually in the tribal portion of Benjamin, not Judah (they both shared the city of Jerusalem). > [@](#): > > This having been said, what would prevent Jews from building a temple today (a real one, according to the instructions of the Bible, not the Temple-replicas that synagogues are supposed to be) on a place other than the Temple Mount? Very simply, the fact that Jewish law forbids it. The Temple can only be built on the spot where it existed. The Altar has to be built on the exact same spot that it was previously built on. One cannot have the Temple built anywhere else. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/4 "2004-12-03T05:10:14Z")
> [@asymptote](#): > > From what I remember of hebrew school, a large temple like those once on the Temple Mount would require animal sacrifices, something most modern Jews would probably not appreciate. I went to a reform synagogue and I never heard anyone suggest building a temple. Well, since the official position of Reform Judaism is that there will be no messiah, no restoration of the Temple or an ingathering of the exiles, I suppose you probably would not have heard of it. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/5 "2004-12-03T15:38:52Z")
IIRC, not only must the temple be in the exact spot, but so must the Holy of Holies. And nobody knows where that is. More important, though, is that not just anybody can rebuild the temple. That’s a job for the messiah. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/6 "2004-12-03T15:51:46Z")
And you need to find priests from a bloodline that, I would think, has gotten a little muddled over the years. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/7 "2004-12-03T16:53:34Z")
kelly5078: > [@](#): > > IIRC, not only must the temple be in the exact spot, but so must the Holy of Holies. And nobody knows where that is. I think that more important than having the Holy of Holies in the precise spot is having the sacrificial altar in the precise spot. > [@](#): > > More important, though, is that not just anybody can rebuild the temple. That’s a job for the messiah. Not necessarily. Maimonides says that “if someone (who meets certain other messianic criteria) manages to rebuild the Temple (and gather in the Exiles, and some other things), then he is definitely the Messiah,” which sounds like the building may be done before a person is considered to be the Messiah. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/8 "2004-12-03T18:18:26Z")
Any thoughts about the theory that the actual Temple site would not disturb the Al Aqsa Mosque? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/9 "2004-12-03T19:19:59Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Not necessarily. Where’s the not necessarily? You still end up with the messiah building the temple, whether you knew he was the messiah before he did it or not. And a big “DUH!” to Maimonides for figuring out that the person who does the stuff the messiah is supposed to do is the messiah. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-jewish-temple-but-not-on-temple-mount/277850/10 "2004-12-03T20:26:46Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > "i to rebuild the Temple > and > gather in the Exiles > and > some other things) Applying Boolean Algebra, someone who rebuilt the Temple, did .not. gather the exiles would not be Mosiach.