{"id":11608,"date":"2026-08-05T09:43:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/?p=11608"},"modified":"2026-08-05T09:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:43:12","slug":"visualizing-the-splendor-new-3d-reconstructions-of-the-temple-mount-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/2026\/08\/05\/visualizing-the-splendor-new-3d-reconstructions-of-the-temple-mount-courts\/","title":{"rendered":"Visualizing the Splendor: New 3D Reconstructions of the Temple Mount Courts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since we published <\/a>the initial reconstructions of the colorful geometric floor patterns (Opus Sectile<\/em>) that decorated the Temple Mount complex in 2016, we have seen many reconstructions of the Temple Mount and the Temple from the Second Temple period incorporating such floors. However, the research is still well underway. The reconstructions we published deal mainly with the roofed areas, such as the porticoes that surrounded the Temple Mount, and not with the open-air courts, for which we are waiting for additional data to help decide the matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research on the subject actually began in the second year of the project. Archaeologist Assaf Avraham, who worked on the project at the time, noticed that some of the floor tile fragments discovered in the sifting – made of diverse stones, including imported marble – were not remains of regular paving. These were tiles in geometric shapes that served as an inlay for a decorated pattern, known in the modern jargon of classical architecture (and by its Latin term) as Opus Sectile<\/em> (“cut work”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Assaf Avraham was the first to identify the tile fragments discovered in the sifting as Opus Sectile<\/em> tiles, suggesting they were used to decorate the Temple Mount plaza in accordance with Josephus Flavius’s description.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He discovered that some of the paving stones found in the sifting had parallels in pavements of this type discovered in Jericho and other places (mainly as negative impressions in plaster, since the stones themselves were already looted in antiquity). Consequently, Assaf published an article<\/a> proposing that we interpret Josephus Flavius’s description of the open-air plaza as referring to a paving of colorful stones in the Opus Sectile<\/em> style:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those entire courts that were exposed to the sky were laid with stones of all colors and all sorts. (The Jewish War<\/em> V, 192)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, he suggested that the rabbinic Sages’ description of Herod’s construction of the Temple using shisha marmara<\/em> stones (Proconnesian marble – white-grained) and shisha kochla<\/em> (probably black bituminous limestone) in the patterns of the waves of the ocean (Sukkah<\/em> 51b \/ Bava Batra<\/em> 4a) actually refers to this paving as well, and not to the walls of the Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he presented his proposal to one of his university professors, the late Prof. Ehud Netzer, Prof. Netzer rejected it, arguing that there were no known uses of this flooring technique in unroofed areas. Additionally, at that time, the prevailing assumption was that marble stones (in the geological sense) were imported to the Land of Israel only starting in the Late Roman period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years have passed since then, and quite a few parallels have been found for the use of this paving technique in open areas as well (see, for example, the Theatre of Pompey in Rome). Evidence has also been found for the import of marble (mainly for Opus Sectile<\/em> floors) as early as the Early Roman period in Herod’s palaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frankie standing on one of the earth mounds, holding a large Opus Sectile<\/em> tile that she uncovered while excavating the mound (photographed in 2007).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After a few years, Ms. Frankie Snyder joined the ranks of the Sifting Project. She started as a volunteer, was later employed as a staff member, completed a tour guide course, and became a guide. At a later stage, given her background and academic degrees in mathematics, she asked to join the research on the Opus Sectile<\/em> floor tiles. We were happy to give her the opportunity, and the fruits of her research went above and beyond expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frankie conducted the most comprehensive research ever done in Israel on the subject. Thanks to the extensive knowledge she acquired, her mathematical skills, and her photographic memory, she managed to restore quite a few tiles and reconstruct seven paving patterns used in the Herodian Temple Mount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We assume that these patterns were used in roofed areas – both because of the size of the stones and their aesthetics, and because of the absence of plaster marks on their edges (a prominent feature of an Opus Sectile<\/em> floor, which does not allow for flexible paving exposed to the elements). However, it is important to note that we do have quite a few tiles that can indeed be reconstructed as having been set in an open plaza, and as mentioned, we are still waiting for additional data on the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Six (out of seven) Opus Sectile<\/em> paving patterns that decorated the Temple Mount courts. The dimensions of each pattern are one Roman foot by one Roman foot (29.6 x 29.6 cm). The individual tiles composing them are based on geometric subdivisions of this measurement, incorporating a contrast of dark and light colors adjacent to one another.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

New Digital Reconstructions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, this was a brief background introduction to our research on this matter, which is much more complex. Those interested in delving deeper are invited to review our publications on the subject<\/a>, as well as a detailed publication that is expected to be published soon (hopefully by the end of the year) in a collection of articles from the first International Temple Mount Research Conference held a few years ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, two new videos were published online showcasing a reconstruction of the Temple Mount during the Second Temple period, incorporating the floor patterns we published. The videos were produced by Daniel Smith, Director of Messages of Christ at Scripture Central. Smith is a biblical history enthusiast whose lifelong dream is to visually make the scriptures and the Holy Land accessible, teaching others in a way that has never been done before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our judgment, it is safe to say that Smith’s reconstructions are the best and most up-to-date digital reconstructions made so far in relation to the research literature on the subject. The first video<\/a> deals with the reconstruction of the Temple at the end of the Second Temple period and elaborates on the architectural styles used by Herod for this project. The second video<\/a>, recently released, focuses on the reconstructions of the floors that decorated the Temple Mount courts, based on Snyder’s research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second video perfectly explains Frankie’s complicated and intricate research, and anyone who had difficulty understanding exactly how the reconstructions were done is highly encouraged to watch it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Few Notes on These Reconstructions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, as we have noted, what you will see in the videos is not the final word on the subject. We still have a lot of research ahead of us. Furthermore, it is important to point out a few caveats regarding the videos. There are some inaccuracies regarding the story of the research’s development, and they lack a reconstruction of the paving that decorated the large plaza. Conversely, they show the use of Opus Sectile<\/em> paving inside the Temple building itself – whereas, in our humble opinion, the floor of the Sanctuary itself was smooth and white, without decorated patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Unprecedented Scale of the Herodian Project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These reconstructions breathtakingly illustrate the magnificence and splendor of the Temple at the end of the Second Temple period. Using such a paving technique over such extensive areas is an unprecedented phenomenon in the entire Roman world; this was the most expensive and lavish paving method that existed at the time, and its use was usually restricted to much smaller spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we should not be surprised by this, as the entire Herodian project\u2014the rebuilding and expansion of the Temple Mount – was an unprecedented phenomenon in the ancient world. This was the largest Temple and sacred compound in the entire Roman Empire, and even the Royal Stoa that stood in the south of the Temple Mount can be considered the largest structure in the Roman world at that time (its length was at least 250 meters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean that Judea was richer than Rome, for it was Judea that paid taxes to the Empire and not the other way around. The explanation for this unprecedented splendor lies elsewhere. In every Roman polis, public resources (taxes and donations) were divided among a large number of temples. In contrast, Jews all over the world had only one temple to which they made pilgrimages and brought their donations. Thus, the taxes collected by Herod and the immense donations were all channelled primarily into one monumental project – the Temple of the God of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since we published the initial reconstructions of the colorful geometric floor patterns (Opus Sectile) that decorated the Temple Mount complex in 2016, we have seen many reconstructions of the Temple Mount and the Temple from the Second Temple period incorporating such floors. However, the research is still well underway. The reconstructions we published deal mainly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/ds3-fi.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11608"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11619,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11608\/revisions\/11619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmsifting.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}