Any archaeological discussion of the Temple or its location on the Temple Mount invariably includes a statement to the effect that it would, of course, be unthinkable to conduct any archaeological excavations on the Temple Mount itself. We do not wish to think about the unthinkable, but, on the other hand, there are a number of “on-the-other-hands,” as Asher Kaufman’s article on “Where the Ancient Temple of Jerusalem Stood” reminds us. In that article we learn that Moslem authorities have conducted an excavation on the Temple Mount for non-archaeological purposes without, however, any archaeological oversight and without any regard […]
