Wooden beams that once stood in Solomon’s Temple—timbers that witnessed the glory of the First Temple and survived its destruction—now lie exposed to the elements on the Temple Mount, covered only by a tattered blue tarp and surrounded by garbage.For more on these intriguing cedar beams, some of which, as the article notes, have been carbon-dated to the periods of both the First and Second Temples, see here. Whether they came from either of the Temples themselves has not been established. For a 2012 report of some of them being burned as firewood, see here.The Beyadenu movement, which works to preserve Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount, recently discovered that protective coverings had been removed from these ancient beams near the Sha’ar HaRachamim (Gate of Mercy), also known as the Golden Gate. After activists reported the exposure, Beyadenu submitted an urgent request to the Israel Antiquities Authority to ensure the beams were re-covered before winter rains could inflict further damage. The Authority confirmed that the beams—many of which are identified as rare Lebanese cedar—have since been covered.
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