New Information from the Exposed Floors of the Dome of the Rock
The carpets of the Dome of the Rock and Solomon’s Stables were recently replaced. Pictures that were taken this week of the exposed floor of the Dome of the Rock and the cave beneath it revealed new fascinating information.
Some old tiles were replaced and the work was done with no supervision of the Antiquities Authority who was not aware of it at all. The police did not bother to update them. Today they covered the floor with new carpets, and a once in a lifetime opportunity to scientifically document these unique floors was missed.
We’ll post more details on this later on.
One of several Opus Sectile Pavings that were exposed by removing carpets in the Dome of the Rock
Certain high-frequency radar waves can enter thin walls, domes and carpets as well as reflecting, so as to “see” what is below them. This for or archeology should be applied here.
I know nothing of these marvelous tiles! were they Herodian or Crusader? Are there more?
probably Byzantine.
Has the soil around the temple mount ever been tested for gold? If it is the site of Solomons temple there should be fragments of gold left behind from the melting that occurred. (Not sure if this is the correct venue for asking this.)
It’s in our plans to do it once we’ll have enough funding.
Reminds me of Cosmati work. Something similar happened in Westminster Abbey – they had an amazing 13c Cosmati mosaic that had been covered with a carpet for a long time. Worried to hear about them using glue to put these carpets down. How are they going to stop it pulling up the mosaics next time they’re replaced?
There are more pictures on The Temple Institute’s facebook page. This one is incredible: https://www.facebook.com/22738684968/photos/pb.22738684968.-2207520000.1429616844./10150534265354969/?type=3&theater