The Quest from Carta

The Quest From Carta by Leen Ritmeyer

A resource was needed to bring together all that is now known about the development of the manmade plateau that is the focus of the world's interest - the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Ritmeyer's experience as architect of the Temple Mount Excavations, coupled with his exploration of parts of the Mount and his doctoral research make him singularly qualified for the task.

Comprehensive in scope, the book begins with the Temple Mount at its zenith, under King Herod the Great.  Weaving together archaeological data with historical sources Ritmeyer produces an authoritative and exhaustive reconstruction in words and pictures.  With the features of the Herodian Temple Mount clearly understood, the reader is led to the quest for the earlier, square Temple Mount, described by Josephus and the Mishnah.  Theories are fairly examined and evaluated as the search progresses.  Clues discovered by the author provide compelling evidence that all previous proposals be re-examined.  This rich accumulation of archaeological and literary evidence suggests a solution for Jerusalem's enduring enigma - i.e., the actual location of the Temple from the time of Solomon onward.  One amazing discovery was the original emplacement of the Ark of the Covenant on the rocky floor of what can be identified as the Holy of Holies.  This work distills three millennia of history and thirty years of intensive research into the definitive book on the Temple Mount.

Excerpt:

"The Holy Temple was built on Mount Moriah, the central part of the eastern ridge on which Jerusalem was first founded.  The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is for many people one of the most significant sites in the world.  For me, it is indeed the most fascinating structure ever built.  This vast temenos has stirred up powerful emotions in people of varying religious beliefs and political backgrounds and has inspired artists and poets alike.  Many books and articles have been written  about the Tempe Mount, but even after almost a century and a half of scientific research, this site is still, to paraphrase Winston Churchill in a different context, "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma"."

Contents:

1. The Herodian Temple Mount Walls
2. The Pre-Herodian Square Temple Mount
3. The Hasmonean Temple Munt
4. The Underground Cisterns of the Temple Mount
5. Understanding Herod's Extension of the Temple Mount
6. The Location of the Temple
7. Reconstructing the First Temple
8. Reconstructing the Second Temple
9. Reconstructing the Herodian Temple Mount
10. Reconstructing Herod's Temple

About the Author:  Born in Holland, Lee Ritmeyer, an archaeological architect, has participated in all of Jerusalem's major excavations.  He served as chief architect of the Temple Mount Excavations directed by the late Prof. Benjamin Mazar, and later participated in Prof. Nahman Avigad's Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem.  There he supervised the restoration of Herodian villas, among them the sumptuous "Palatial Mansion", the likely palace of Annas the High Priest, and the Byzantine Cardo, in addition to other ancient sites in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel.  He has also participated in numerous excavations throughout Israel.  Ritmeyer holds a Master's degree in Conservation Studies from the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies at the University of York and a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester.

Featuring:
Superb reconstructions of Temple Mount architecture
Profusely illustrated with hundreds of maps, plans, drawings and photographs, and illustrations
Index
Bibliography

Language: English
Hard Cover,
448 pages,
7½×9¾ in. (19×24.5 cm)
Weight: 1.55 kg (3.4 pounds)