Understanding The Holy Temple of the Old Testament

 By: Leen and Kathleen Ritmeyer

This handy volume offers a comprehensive overview of Israel’s sanctuary throughout its history up until the first century. Beginning with the proto-sanctuary in Genesis, it shows how the events that took place on Mount Moriah established this site as a holy place of huge significance for mankind. We then follow the dramatic story of the portable sanctuary of the Tabernacle in its long journey to Jerusalem, looking at its features and associated ritual. A depiction of the Temple of Solomon, proverbial for its splendour, is at the heart of the book. In addition, a tremendous amount of material, based on the evidence of ancient texts and recently discovered archaeological remains, is brought together to offer clues as to the precise location of this sacred building.

The resource continues to relate the story of the Temple and the platform that surrounded it, through the Post-Exilic, Hellenistic and Hasmonean periods. Leen Ritmeyer’s authoritative reconstruction drawings imbue the stones of the Temple with meaning and offer insights to the scholar and interested layperson alike.

About the Authors
Leen and Kathleen Ritmeyer met in 1975 during the Temple Mount excavations in Jerusalem
where Leen served as site architect. Originally from Holland, Leen has been involved
in all of Jerusalem’s major excavations, producing site plans and reconstruction drawings
for all of them. In Jerusalem, he directed prestigious restoration projects such as the Byzantine
Cardo and the Herodian Villas and taught Biblical Archaeology at the Universities
of Leeds and Cardiff in the U.K. In 2006, his major work, The Quest: Revealing the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem, was published after thirty years of intensive research.
Kathleen studied Archaeology at University College Dublin and apart from the Temple
Mount, has participated in excavations in Ireland, Scotland and Israel. She has a postgraduate
certificate in education and has worked as a teacher, translator and tour
guide. She combines her love of education and archaeology working with Leen in their
firm Ritmeyer Archaeological Design (www.ritmeyer.com), producing materials on biblical
archaeology.

48 pp.; 23×30 cm (9×12 in.); full color; maps,
illustrations and photographs; paper

ISBN: 978-965-220-881-1