Something which once would have been considered beyond the bounds of sanity, is increasingly closer towards being an objective within the range of possibilities. Rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple is of foremost precedence to heralding the Messianic Age according to Rabbinic Judaism. Since the Israeli capture of the Temple Mount in 1967, zealous fervour has motivated Religious Zionists to further the process of making this a reality. Many of the necessary articles, vessels, tools and implements have been fashioned. These include the elegant golden menorah and the High Priest's elaborate vestments.
Foremost amongst those engaged in these preparations is the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, which has devoted decades to recreating the sacred vessels and implements required for renewed Temple worship. Another prominent figure is Rabbi Yehuda Glick, the former Likud MK and Temple Mount activist, who has campaigned tirelessly for the right of Jews to ascend and pray upon the Mount.
Another significant development has been the gradual relaxation, in certain religious circles, of the previous Halachic objections to Jews setting foot upon the Temple Mount. Traditionally, the Chief Rabbinate has prohibited Jews from ascending Har HaBayit, for fear of inadvertently entering the Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim) in a state of ritual impurity. However, increasing numbers of religious Jews, including some ultra-Orthodox Jews and rabbis, are now making the ascent. Although many leading rabbinical authorities continue to uphold the prohibition, this represents a considerable shift in religious attitudes.
However, political developments haven't begun to match these logistical preparations until very recently. Since October 7th, a general trend amongst Jewish Israelis polled is to extend Jewish sovereignty throughout the Land of Israel. Concerning security and borders, the political divide has narrowed. The preponderance of Israeli political parties is Right - Centre. The traditional peacenik cohort of Labor/Meretz has basically been demolished and only the 10-seat bloc of Arab parties hold the Left substantially. The trend is actually for Israeli Jews to move even further to the right. This could translate into an eventual embrace of a Temple consecration in time.
Another shift is the move that we see in the Arab world of warming ties with Israel. Beyond the Gulf states that have established diplomatic ties with Israel largely motivated by commercial interests, even Saudi Arabia now is pursuing unofficial military and intelligence cooperation with Israel due to the threat posed by Iran and their Houthi proxies. Saudi Arabia is significant, as the home of Islam's sacred sites and is also seen as amongst the most prominent Arab Muslim nation. Should Saudi Arabia in their desperation lean more heavily on Israel to rescue them from the Houthi onslaught, it may be forced to perhaps consider more openness to the notion of rebuilding the Temple.
Despite the aforementioned facts, we are likely still quite a long way off from such a colossal event. Rebuilding the Temple would carry Halachik (Jewish Law) implications for the rest of secular Israeli society, they would (at least currently now) be unwilling to accept. The Temple cannot be isolated from the other associated institutions upon which it depends. Amongst these would be a reconfigured Sanhedrin that would transform the Jewish democratic State into a Jewish theocracy. The kind of government that would be able to pull such a project off would require massive political capital by commanding a huge popular mandate.
The avalanche of global hostile Muslim opposition would also have to be reckoned with, as would also the status of the Dome of the Rock. Could it also be accommodated at the same site? Or would it require removal?
Interestingly, the late researcher Asher Kaufman proposed a theory that places the original Temple approximately 70 metres north of the Dome of the Rock, aligned with the present Golden Gate. This differs from the reconstruction associated with archaeologist Dan Bahat, which places the Temple in the vicinity of the Dome of the Rock itself. If Kaufman's theory were correct, rebuilding the Temple would not necessarily require the removal of the Dome of the Rock (also known as the Mosque of Omar). Although this theory remains disputed, it presents an intriguing possibility. It would also appear consistent with certain Christian interpretations of Revelation Chapter 11, which describes a future Temple whose outer court is given over to the Gentiles.
For the time being, the rebuilding of the Temple remains an aspiration rather than a realistic political objective. The religious preparations may be well advanced, but the political, theological and diplomatic obstacles remain enormous. Nevertheless, history has a habit of making yesterday's impossibilities tomorrow's realities. Who, a century ago, would have imagined the restoration of Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem? Perhaps the rebuilding of the Temple is another such possibility that we should not be too quick to dismiss.
Rubin Rothler - LLB, LLM
