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Exodus 30: 13-16) to collect a half-shekel tax, the shekel being 20 gerah of the shekel of the sanctuary, at the time of each census. During the time of Moses there were no coins, so we understand this to mean the weight of half a shekel, according to the standards set by the sanctuary. Subsequently, it is suggested that the half-shekel was paid annually ( II Kings 12 5-17 and Nehemiah 10:32-33). In the Book of Nehemiah, it was referred to as a “third-shekel” but scholars generally believe that this was either an error of transcription or a reference to Persian weight standards, common...

The Bible mentions only three locations purchased with money. The field of Machpelah in Hebron bought by Abraham, the field near Shechem purchased by Jacob and where Joseph was later buried, and Mount Moriah, atop which was the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, which David obtained and designated the future location of the Temple. The First Temple, built by David’s son Solomon, stood for almost four centuries before being destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Though little is known about this earliest incarnation, from the time David purchased the mountain until its destruction, the ...

The Dome of the Rock ( Qubbat As-Sakhrah in Arabic), is one of the most important holy sites of Islam, and is the first example of really massive and permanent Islamic monumental architecture. Though commonly conceived of by westerners as a mosque, it isn't one; a mosque is a site for communal worship, and the dome is a commemorative shrine ( masshad), built on a holy site, in this case the top of the Temple Mount. Even Muslims misconceive the purpose of its construction, as most would tell you that it commemorates the site of The Prophet's Night Journey, his bodily visit to heaven - but th...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Rembrandt's The Sacrifice of Isaac The Sacrifice of Isaac (Akeidat Yitzhak in Hebrew), one of the most transcendental moments in the Torah which defined monotheism and abolished child sacrifice in ancient pagan societies is brilliantly depicted by Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) in...