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“Whether” the Israelite Temples—the First Temple built by King Solomon and the Second Temple built by Herod—ever existed on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is an “explosive historical question,” declared a major article in the New York Times.1
This brought an immediate and widespread barrage of criticism from the scholarly community. The Times quickly published a correction, first online and then in the print edition: There was little doubt that the Israelite Temples were built on the Temple Mount. The only question, the Times admitted, was “where” on the 37-acre site they were built.
The remaining question is how the Times managed to make this mistake. The story was written by Rick Gladstone, a senior Times reporter. He had spoken to a bevy of archaeological luminaries like Jodi Magness, Jane Cahill, Rivka Gonen, Kent Bramlett, Wendy Pullan and Matt Adams, head of Jerusalem’s Albright archaeological institute. Yet Gladstone fundamentally erred. Jodi Magness, whose letter of correction the Times published, said she talked to Gladstone for more than an hour. So how did Gladstone manage to make such an error?
The only answer seems to be—a predilection.
Gladstone refused to be interviewed for this story, which may seem strange of someone who earns his living interviewing people.—H.S.
“Whether” the Israelite Temples—the First Temple built by King Solomon and the Second Temple built by Herod—ever existed on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is an “explosive historical question,” declared a major article in the New York Times.1
