New bulge develops on wall of Temple Mount

As Jordanian engineers began tests on a two-year-old bulge on the southern wall of Jerusalem's Temple Mount this week, a side section of the mount's western wall that shows signs of dampness has begun to protrude as well.

The latest swelling of the 2,000-year-old supporting wall is on its western side, to the right of the area where Jewish worshipers visit.

The 10-meter bulge, which can be seen just to the right of the Mugrabi Gate and to the left of Robinson's Arch, in the archeological garden which abuts the Western Wall prayer area, lies directly underneath a small garden area atop the Temple Mount.

The area of the wall in question was visibly damp, even after Israel's long, dry summer. Informed sources say that the bulge which looks like the one on the southern wall did two years ago is likely the result of water dripping inside of the wall from the Wakf's small garden above.

Water drippage and faulty draining were cited by the Antiquities Authority as probable causes for the the southern wall bulge last year.

Unlike the southern wall, which lies just under Solomon's Stables, which has been turned into the largest mosque in Israel, the area near the western wall is unoccupied, both above and below where it is cordoned off due to its proximity to the Mugrabi Gate. As such, a possible collapse there does not pose the danger that a collapse of the southern wall does.

The Antiquities Authority declined to comment "at the present time" on the condition of the western supporting wall.

Fearing renewed violence, police have barred non-Muslims, including archeologists, from entering the Mount since then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon's visit to the site in September 2000, leaving the area without archeological supervision.

Just this week, the Prime Minister's Office acknowledged that a yearlong dispute between Israel and the Wakf Islamic Trust over who will fix the bulge in the southern wall has been resolved, with a decision to involve Jordanian engineers.

It was not immediately clear whether the Jordanian team would take responsibility for other portions of the Temple Mount.

The decision to let the Jordanians work on the Mount, which was made at a top level meeting presided over by Sharon last week, follows warnings by archeologists that sections of the wall are in danger of collapse, and comes a month before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when hundreds of thousands of Muslims are expected to visit the site.

Over the past year, in what has been refereed to as "the battle over the bulge," intermittent discreet negotiations with the Wakf to fix the bulge in the wall remained at a standstill over a disagreement as to who will fix the problem Israel or the Wakf.

The standoff continued for over a year even though only a few days were needed to carry out the culmination of engineering tests at the site that the Antiquities Authority had completed on the outside of the wall, and even though that bulge grew to its current length of 190 meters, protruding by as much as 70 cm.

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied about the water which would go out from the Temple Mount in the end-times which will be a sign of the redemption of the people and land of Israel.

"And he brought me back to the door of the house; and, behold, waters flowed from under the threshold of the house eastward; for the front of the house faced to the east, and water run out from beneath the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. And he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me around the way outside to the outer gate by the way that faces to the east; and, behold, there ran out water on the right side. And when the man who had the line in his hand went out eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the water; the water reached the ankles. And he measured a thousand, and brought me through the water; the water reached the knees. And he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the water reached the loins. And he measured a further thousand; and it was a stream that I could not pass over; for the water had risen, water to swim in, a stream that could not be passed over. And he said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the edge of the stream. And when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the stream were many trees on one side and on the other. And he said to me, 'These waters flow out towards the eastern region, and go down to the Arabah, to the sea; and when they enter the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that lives, which moves, wherever the streams shall come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there; for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live where the stream comes. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from EinGedi as far as EinEglayim; they shall be a place for spreading nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, a great many like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and its marshes shall not be healed; they shall be left for salt. And by the stream, upon its bank, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for food, whose leaf shall not wither, nor shall its fruit fail; it shall bring forth fresh fruit every month, because the waters for them flow from the sanctuary; and their fruit shall be for food, and their leaves for healing.' Thus says the L-rd G-d: "This shall be the border, according to which you shall divide the land for inheritance to the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions. And you shall inherit it, one as well as another; concerning which I raised my hand to give it to your fathers; and this land shall fall to you for inheritance. And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the Great Sea, by the way of Hethlon, as you go to Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; middle Hazar, which is by the coast of Hauran. And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-Enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. And the east side you shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and between the land of Israel and the Jordan, from the border to the east sea. And this is the east side. And the south side southward, from Tamar to the waters of Meribot-Kadesh, to the river, as far as the Great Sea. And this is south side towards the Negev. The west side also shall be the Great Sea from the border, as far as opposite the entrance to Hamath. This is the west side. And you shall divide this land for yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you, and to the foreigners who sojourn among you, who shall father children among you; and they shall be to you as those born in the country among the people of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that in whatever tribe the foreigner sojourns, there shall you give him his inheritance', says the L-rd G-d." (Ezekiel 47)

The prophet Joel also prophesied about the water which will flow out from the hill of the house of G-d in the time of the redemption of the people and land of Israel which he expressed in a very unique and beautiful way.

"And it shall come to pass on that day, that the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall issue from the house of the L-rd, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done against the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall remain for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For though I have acquitted them, I have not acquitted those who shed their blood. And the L-rd dwells in Zion." (Joel 4:18-21)

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