Temple Denial

Model of Second Temple (Temple of Herod), Israel Museum, Author Ariely (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) 

“The great masses of the people… will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one…”

–Adolf Hitler, “Mein Kampf” [1A]

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

–Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels [1B]

The Big Lie is the term for a propaganda technique which involves repetition of a known falsehood as if it were self-evidently true [1C].  The goal behind this technique is to shift an argument so that the Big Lie is taken for granted, rather than questioned critically or ignored entirely. 

Nazi Antisemitism

As a general rule, for a Big Lie to be effective it must appeal to the bias of listeners, yet be stated in a bland and matter of fact manner [1D].  The Big Lie Adolf Hitler employed in Nazi propaganda, for instance, was the false claim – rooted in antisemitism – that Jews were responsible for all of Germany’s ills.

Temple Denial

Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and particularly since the Six-Day War in 1967, the Arab world has increasingly supported the contention that no Jewish temple ever stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem [2][3].  The First and Second Temples, if they existed at all, supposedly stood in the city of Nablus on the West Bank, in Yemen, or elsewhere. 

The purpose of this particular Big Lie, known as temple denial, is to undermine the legitimate claim by Jews to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, itself. 

History and Archaeology

To anyone at all familiar with history or archaeology, this lie is so obvious as to be laughable.

The Bible (by far the most reputable and trustworthy of all sources) tells us that King Solomon built the First Temple on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, purchased by King David at God’s direction (2 Chron. 3: 1).  This is, also, believed to be the place Abraham brought his son Isaac to sacrifice (Gen. 22: 2). 

Consistent with the biblical references, there have been artifacts and structural elements discovered on the Temple Mount and surrounding areas suggesting construction during the First Temple Period [4].

This First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians around 586 BC. 

Following the Babylonian captivity, a Second Temple was rebuilt under Zerubbabel around 516 BC on the original site, i.e. the Temple Mount (Ezra 2: 68 NLV; Ezra 5: 15 NKJV; Ezra 6: 7 NLT).  This building was later magnificently expanded by King Herod the Great [5].

In addition to its mention in the Bible, the Second Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by the Roman historian Tacitus, detailed by the Jewish historian Josephus, and supported by extensive archaeological evidence [6][7][8]. 

Indeed, the Temple Mount Sifting Project was begun in 2004 and is still ongoing today for the very reason that the Waqf, the Islamic authority overseeing the Temple Mount, simply removed tons of historic artifacts from the site by bulldozer [9].  That lack of archaeologic care suggests a strong desire to hide the true history of the Temple Mount.

But the truth has little relevance for those propounding a Big Lie.  History can be erased, as far as they are concerned.

Islamic Antisemitism

As with Nazi propaganda, the intent behind this Big Lie is no joking matter.  Temple denial is a way to deny Jewish history and heritage.  Like Nazi propaganda, it is rooted in antisemitism. 

The goal of Islamic terrorism is, of course, to exterminate Jews entirely from the face of the earth.  We must not forget that.

Whatever the cost, Christians must stand with Jews in support of the truth.

—

[1]  European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS), “Big Lie”, https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/big-lie/ .

[2]  Wikipedia, “Temple denial”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_denial.

[3]  Times of Israel, “Jerusalem mufti:  Temple Mount never housed Jewish temple” by Ilan Ben Zion, 10/25/15, https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-mufti-denies-temple-mount-ever-housed-jewish-shrine/.

[4]  Wikipedia, “Archaeological remnants of the Jerusalem temple”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeological_remnants_of_the_Jerusalem_Temple.

[5]  BibleHub, “Is Herod’s temple the third temple?”,  https://biblehub.com/q/is_herod%27s_temple_the_third_temple.htm.

[6]  History, “Uncovering Herodian Archaeology:  The Temple Mount and the Holy City” by Mel Sheehan, 11/20/24, https://history.vcu.edu/news/newsroom/history-news/uncovering-herodian-archaeology-the-temple-mount-and-the-holy-city.html.

[7]  Biblical Archaeology, “Reconstructing Herod’s Temple Mount in Jerusalem” by Kathleen and Leen Ritmeyer, https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/reconstructing-herods-temple-mount-in-jerusalem/.

[8]  Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, “Jerusalem’s Temples:  The Archaeological Evidence” by Christopher Eames, 8/7/22, https://armstronginstitute.org/194-jerusalems-temples-the-archaeological-evidence.

[9]  Wikipedia, “Temple Mount Sifting Project”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_Sifting_Project.

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