Temple, Herod’s Reviews the history of Herod the Great’s temple in Jerusalem as well as his extensive renovations of the temple complex beginning around 20 bc, during the 18th year of his reign. The core temple likely was finished within several years, but construction on the entire complex continued for decades and would have been ongoing during the events narrated in the Gospels and Acts. Although Herod’s project was the largest building site in the ancient world, its grandeur was short lived. After being completed in the early ad 60s, the temple complex was destroyed by the Romans in ad 70.

While several portions of a massive retaining wall built by Herod can still be seen today, the most famous is the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall (toward the southern end of the western retaining wall). In some places, the wall is nearly 70 feet tall. For Jews, this is the most sacred site in contemporary Jerusalem. Many Jews visit the Western Wall to pray and to slip written prayers into the crevices between the blocks. The sacred nature of this site makes it a point of contention between Israelis and Palestinians, especially since the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam, is partially located on the footprint of the ancient Israelite temple. Herod’s retaining wall and the Temple Mount that it supports are perhaps the most contested pieces of religious real estate in the world.