Table of Contents
2. Where I First Heard About This, and Where I First Reported on It
3. Background on the Red Heifer and its Ancestors
4. Why I Am Writing About This Now, and When Will the Heifer Will Be Burned?
5. Background on al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Temple, the Third Jewish Temple, and Prayer at the Temple Mount
6. Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque
and Dome of the Rock Lost on Christians and Westerners
7. Post-Script
Content
1.
Rabbis to Slaughter and Burn Red Heifer in Holy Land
Over the last six months, there has been increased
discussion of the prospects that a red heifer will be ceremonially slaughtered and burned by
rabbis in the Holy Land.
For example, in December 2023, podcaster Tim Pool posted a video
titled, "Reports Say the Red Heifer Was Born, ANOTHER Sign Pointing to the
END OF DAYS", and a shorter version of the same video,
titled "Why is the Red Heifer So Important?".
Those videos can be viewed at the following links:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lrCG2QyqUE
- http://www.youtube.com/shorts/FtTDmqB1-xI
On April 9th, 2024, Al Jazeera reported that there are five red
heifers which could possibly be selected for burning: "They have come from
halfway across the world and are kept under tight security and raised according
to the strictest rules. They are five pure red heifers without blemish who have
never worked, given birth, been milked or worn a yoke."
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/9/what-do-texan-red-heifers-have-to-do-with-al-aqsa-and-a-jewish-temple
The "blemishes" referred to include black and white hairs.
2. Where I First Heard About This, and Where I First Reported on It
[Note: That article is available at the following address:
http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html]
I
wrote:
"The Temple Institute has made and procured several items
which are to be used in ritual services in the Temple. Such services would
involve the use of sacred vessels, a mock-up of the Ark of the Covenant, and a
red heifer bred to have attributes specifically outlined in the Bible. This red
heifer is to be sacrificed, becoming only the tenth or eleventh in history, and
its ashes are to be used in order to purify the souls of those who have come
into contact with the corpses of the dead, or with their graves.
"In the last two decades, Christian cow farmer Clyde Lott of
Nebraska has assisted the Temple Institute to obtain hundreds of heifers from
which the sacrificial animal is to be bred. A candidate for slaughter named
Melody was even produced back in 1996, and another was born in 2002, but both
were subsequently found to be unsuitable for sacrifice. However, in March 2010,
a representative of the Temple Institute claimed that there was [']definitely a
kosher red heifer here in Israel.[']"
[Author's Notes: 1) The Temple Institute is an Israel-based rabbinic organization dedicated to restoring the Temple of Jerusalem. Its Hebrew name is Machon HaMikdash. 2) The red heifer to be burned would be the tenth in history, not the eleventh, and its slaughter is not considered by Jews to be a sacrifice.]
The article from Al Jazeera states that, in 2022, "five red
yearlings were donated by an evangelical farmer from Texas, United States, and
flown to Israel as [']pets['] to get around restrictions on importing live
animals as livestock at the time."
That article did not mention Clyde Lott by name, but considering that
Lott is from Nebraska (and also has ties to Mississippi) rather than Texas,
it's possible that either a second farmer donated red heifers, or else that the
article from Al Jazeera accidentally misnamed the home state of the farmer who provided the cows.
There are several sources which specifically name Texas as the home state of the cows. One source was Bashem Youssef, and the other is the following article from CBSNews.com, titled "What these red cows from Texas have to do with war and peace in the Middle East""
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-war-hamas-red-heifers-from-texas-jerusalem-jewish-temple-al-aqsa/
I wrote that article shortly after becoming aware, in either 2010 or 2011, that there were ongoing attempts to rebuild the Temple in either 2010 or 2011, when I saw a video on YouTube by a young Christian man (who was at that time about 20 years old) saying that he had interviewed a rabbi whom had told him that rabbis in Israel were interested in procuring red heifers.
I read a rumor, somewhere online - after that video was posted - alleging
that the young man had not been heard from since coming out with the news about
the heifers. Essentially, he had "disappeared", according to some people following the story at the time. I did not mention that young man, in my original article, because
I was unable to find his name, or the video. But that is how I became aware of
this story.
It is worthwhile to note, here, that - prior to 2010 - it was not exactly a secret that some rabbis wanted to rebuild the Temple. After all, there was an attempt to lay a cornerstone for the Jewish temple twenty years prior to that date.
[Note: There will be more information on that towards the end of section 5 of this article.]
As would be expected, when it comes to a news story steeped in biblical
history, some explanatory background will be necessary here; specifically, regarding why these red heifers are being procured, and what making use of them would require and entail.
The first burned heifer in modern history would be the tenth in history to be burned; at least, from the
Jewish perspective.
According to John J. Parsons's article - quoting "Mishnah, Parah 3:5" - this tenth red heifer will be the final red heifer, and will be burned by Mashiach himself "at the time of the rebuilding of the future Temple".
According to the article "The Tenth Red Heifer:
The Superiority of Yeshua's Sacrifice" (by John J. Parsons, writing for
Hebrew4Christians.com), the Christian view is that Jesus was
(or at least symbolized) the tenth heifer.
The article at the following link contains some information about
the first nine red heifers that were burned (the last of which was burned in
the first century A.D.):
[Source: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Tenth_Red_Heifer/tenth_red_heifer.html]
That Christian view also holds that Jesus is not only the
heifer, but also the new Temple.
While that disagreement exists, there are also people - some of
whom describe themselves as "Jews for Jesus" or "Messianic
Jews" - who would say that Christians have an obligation to attempt to
fulfill as much of Jewish law as possible, including burning the red heifer and rebuilding the Third
Temple.
One such pastor, Texas-based Byron Stinson, whom I e-mailed - and whom supports the burning of the heifer, and Christians' involvement in it - said that it's not that the heifer's burning is necessary because Jesus's sacrifice wasn't enough; it was enough. It's just that - according to Stinson - despite the fact that burning the red heifer isn't necessary to honor Jesus's sacrifice, that doesn't mean it's the only thing that Christians are commanded to do to honor Jesus (while Jews honor the Father). Stinson argues that Christians - all Christians - are still called-on and obligated by their Creator to fulfill as many of the 613 or 618 commandments of the G-d of Abraham.
The following passage from the Bible helps explain and clarify that perspective. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Based on the information that I gathered while writing "A
Jewish and Democratic State" - as well as the articles that I am reading
today - the burning of a red heifer is supposed to precede the
construction of the Third Temple of Jerusalem.
According to "a senior Palestinian source in contact with Hamas leadership", "the slaughtering of the red heifers" ... is "the signal to rebuild the Third Temple".
[Source: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-west-bank-settlers-red-cows-third-temple]
Presumably, a fair number of Muslims share this view.
The following article from the Temple Institute clarifies that the heifer will not be slaughtered in the Temple, specifying that it is to be slaughtered and burned at the "Mount of Anointment", which is located on the Mount of Olives.
http://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-numbers-19/
Evidently, this means that the Temple does not need to exist - in whole or in part - in order for the red heifer to be slaughtered. But for the Jews, it is the next logical step, and an eventuality, and a hope.
Tennessee-based Christian evangelical preacher Perry Stone cautions that the burning of a red heifer "does not mean the immediate rebuilding of the Temple".
What this all means is that Zionist Jews will continue to support efforts to slaughter and burn a red heifer at the Mount of Olives - without needing a Temple (yet) in order to make that happen, and prior to the rebuilding of the Third Temple - but as a signal that the Temple will be rebuilt.
4. Why I
Am Writing About This Now, and When Will the Heifer Will Be Burned?
In Tim Pool's reporting from December 2023, he stated that the
burning will occur on or before Passover (called Pesach in
Hebrew), which occurs on April 22nd this year.
A woman using the TikTok username "karressmarie4" posted a video in March, saying that she had heard that March 29th was the date of the planned burning. However, since encountering that video, I have not seen any information which corroborates her claim.
Egyptian-American surgeon-turned-comedian Bassem Youssef stated in
a recent interview that the red heifers being considered for burning were going
to turn three years old on April 10th.
[Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbsYrZapzqA; see 27-minute mark]
Readers and viewers should note that, after making this statement - from 27:30 to 27:35 - Youssef refers to the new Jewish Temple potentially being built "over" al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the two mosques on top of the Temple Mount (that is, the group of religious buildings on top of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem). This will come up again shortly.
[Note: Muslims call Al-Aqsa mosque "Masjid Al-Aqsa". The building was constructed, at first under the leadership of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, between approximately 685 and 715 C.E.. Abdul Malik ibn Marwan died in 705.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Malik_ibn_Marwan]
According to Perry Stone, the red heifer "must remain unblemished until it is three-and-a-half years old".
[Source: http://mycharisma.com/propheticrevival/40-year-old-warning-amid-red-heifer-false-prophecies/]
Stone also notes that the heifer must go unburdened for that entire period of time.
He cites the Book of
Numbers, Chapter 19, when pointing to how such a heifer is to be prepared for
burning.
Presumably, this would imply that the heifers will not be ready for slaughter until October 2024 (depending on who has their information right).
According to the Temple Institute, the very organization which is
making preparations for the burning of the heifer and the rebuilding of the
Temple, "The heifer must be three years old and perfect in its
redness." However, this same article goes on to say that "The
Commandment calls for the animal to be a [']heifer,['] that is, 3 or 4 years
old; although an older animal could also be used."
[Source: http://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-numbers-19/]
The article linked above does not
contain any mention of Pesach / Passover; nor of any
particular date on which the heifer can or must be burned. [Note: The article
clarifies that the heifer is not viewed as a sacrifice, saying
"...the red heifer is not a sacrifice per se, for it is not
slaughtered in the Temple...".]
What this all means is that, unfortunately, it's possible that -
even if we knew which heifer is due to be burned, and knew its precise birth
date - we might not be able to figure out even the approximate timing
of the ceremony.
However, according to the article from Al Jazeera,
Christian preacher Michael Samuel Smith says that, in his opinion, "the
first successful red heifer sacrifice will take place in the spring of 2024
around the Passover to Pentecost timeframe".
That estimate would put the timeframe at between Monday,
April 22nd and Sunday, May 19th, 2024.
Granted, that span of time is nearly a month long. But it's
a more specific estimate than is the guess of Passover and Passover alone; and
considering that March 29th and April 10th have passed with no reports of
heifers having been burned, it's probably accurate.
It's probably safe to assume that, if this slaughter happens, then it will happen within a year.
As I explained above, for the red heifer to be slaughtered and
then burned, does not require the rebuilding of the Third
Temple beforehand, nor is such a ceremony supposed to take place inside such a temple.
Moreover, as noted above, Bashem Youssef (a Muslim) refers to the new Jewish temple's potentially being built "over" al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore we can assume that this possibility is being discussed in the Muslim world.
And, if I'm not mistaken, Bill Clinton may have considered the possibility of building over the Mosque as part of his role in the negotiations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the year 2000 [Note: I wish I could provide a source for this, but unfortunately, I can't remember where I heard or read it.].
So if the red heifer doesn't require the Temple, and the Temple doesn't require the destruction of al-Aqsa, then why is there this controversy about al-Aqsa Mosque. Why are people worried that al-Aqsa may have to be destroyed (either in whole or in part) in order for the Jewish Temple to be built, if another option exists?
Perhaps it's because "building the new Temple on top of al-Aqsa" could easily be used as code for "building the new Temple on top of the ruins of al-Aqsa, after it's been destroyed".
I say this because it is a concern, amongst Palestinians, and a valid one.
In 2012, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israeli authorities "were preparing models of what they call the Temple, in order to build it on the ruins of al-Aqsa."
[Source: http://jcpa.org/article/abbas-temple-denial/]
Additionally, controversy and worry arise from the supposition that the
burning of the heifer foretells the rebuilding of the Temple,
or at least that its burning precedes and/or allows the rebuilding of the
Temple in the order of exegetic events in the Jewish tradition.
On March 5th, Chris Livesay of CBS News reported that "fervent believers" "insist" that the temple can rise again "only with that offering".
[Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-war-hamas-red-heifers-from-texas-jerusalem-jewish-temple-al-aqsa/]
In my article "A Jewish and Democratic State",
the burning of the red heifer and the rebuilding of the Temple are both listed
as part of the seventh of sixteen sets of events prophesied in the Bible. That
seventh set of events is titled "Chapter 7: The Rebuilding of the Holy
Temple", in the second part of that
article, titled Transubstantiation,
[http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html]
As I explained in that chapter, the First Temple (Solomon's
Temple) began construction in 954 B.C.E., and was destroyed by the Babylonians
in 587 B.C.E.. The Second Temple (Herod's Temple) was renovated in 19 B.C.E.,
and destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E..
Those temples were located on the Temple Mount in the Old
City of Jerusalem, in the eastern part of the center of the city. The Temple Mount is located on top of Mount Moriah, and is referred to in Hebrew as Har HaBayit.
[Source: http://www.ajc.org/news/what-to-know-about-jerusalems-temple-mount-and-the-status-quo-agreement#:~:text=The%20Temple%20Mount%2C%20known%20in,central%20to%20the%20Christian%20Gospels.]
Muslims call this site "Haram ash-Sharif", meaning Noble Sanctuary.
[Source: http://decipherblogsite.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/jacobs-ladder-muhammads-miraj/]
Currently located at that site are the Dome of the Rock
Temple (which was completed in 691 C.E.) and al-Aqsa Mosque (completed
in 705 C.E.).
Image created by Jerusalem Story in 2022
[http://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/article/where-jerusalem-uncertain-and-unfixed-boundaries-city]
Administrative control over the Temple Mount is currently wielded by the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, a religious endowment and trust. Each the Waqf, the rabbinic authorities, and the Israeli Defense Forces wield some degree of influence and control regarding people's behavior while visiting the site (for example, the manners in which they may dress, whether they may pray openly, and at what times and locations, and depending on whether they are a tourist or a citizen, and depending on their religion).
Here are some links that explain the conditions for visiting the Mount:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_entry_restrictions#:~:text=a%20religious%20duty.-,Israeli%20restriction%20policy,can%20visit%20at%20a%20time.
One purpose which the rabbis have in policing behavior at this site is to ensure that people do not trample on the Qodesh Ha-qadashim. This refers to what is called, in Latin, the "sanctum sanctorum" (which translates to "Holy of Holies"), the Tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant is believed to have once rested. According to Britannica.com, the Holy of Holies was located toward the West end of Solomon's Temple.
[Source: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-of-Holies]
That spot may only be visited by the High Priest (the Nasi) and only on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Since 1967, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has ruled that Jews must not be permitted to walk on that ground.
Especially so, prior the restoration of the Temple (by which I mean, between now and when the Temple is built). That's because, when the Temple is constructed, only then would Isaiah's prophecy of its becoming "a house of prayer for all nations" (Isaiah 56:7) truly be fulfilled.
From what I can glean, the notion that humanity would be instantaneously converted to Judaism via an obvious miracle, wherein all people would suddenly know the word of G-d by heart, without having to read it, is part of Jewish beliefs about the Olam Ha-Ba (which means "World to Come", but is sometimes erroneously translated as "End of Days" or "End Times").
Hence, if all people suddenly became Jewish - or at least obeyed all of G-d's commandments (or became Noahides) - their prayers would share the same significance, all being directed toward the same god. This would make the presence of people of all faiths - and having their prayer be open, public, or even unregulated - more of an acceptable and viable solution to the so-called "problem" of restrictions on open prayer at the Mount.
Unfortunately, it's unclear whether Isaiah 56:7 really means that everyone praying at the Temple will be Jewish, or else that people will be free to pray in the Third Temple even if they're praying to a god other than the G-d of Abraham. After all, it says "for all nations", not "for all faiths".
But that is a discussion which lies beyond the scope of this article. However, you can read "A Jewish and Democratic State" if you would like to know more about my views regarding how to geo-politically interpret these ongoing attempts, by Israelis, to fulfill Jewish prophecy.
It's probably a safe bet to assume that some of the people whom have ignored restrictions upon open prayer (and other activities) at the mount, are probably not aware of all of the issues which I have mentioned above.
Such people include the rabbis of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, Rabbi Susan Silverman (the sister of Jewish-American comedienne Sarah Silverman), and Rabbi Yehuda Glick.
1. Seventeen Palestinians were killed, and many Israelis and Palestinians were injured, after the Temple Mount Faithful Movement decided to lay the cornerstone for the Temple.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Temple_Mount_killings
2. In 2013, Rabbi Susan Silverman and her daughter were arrested for praying at the Western Wall while wearing blue and white shawls ("tallilot").
http://www.nydailynews.com/2013/02/11/comedienne-sarah-silvermans-sister-and-niece-arrested-for-praying-at-the-wailing-wall-in-jerusalem/
3. In 2015, Rabbi Yehuda Glick urged Jews to ascend the Mount, but within the boundaries outlined in the Midrash. At least eight hundred fifty Jews ascended the Mount as a result of Glick's urging. This article mentions the fact that a man named Dr. Motti Inbari has pointed out that the motives for Jews ascending the Mount include causing the Israeli government to see it as a site which should not be relinquished to Palestinian or Jordanian authorities on account that it is not unoccupied.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-support-widens-for-jewish-prayer-on-temple-mount-should-we-fear-apocalyptic-consequences/
Back to the mosques.
The Al Jazeera article mentioned above, is titled "What do Texan red heifers have to do with Al-Aqsa and a Jewish temple?". Written by Mersiha Gadzo, the articles answer to the question in its headline, reflects and summarizes the unease felt by Muslims at the prospect of the red heifer's burning:
"These red heifers [-] and the archaic ritual they were brought to
Israel for [-] stand at the heart of a convoluted effort by a segment of
ultranationalist Jews to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest
site in Islam that has stood on a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem for more
than 1,000 years, and replace it with a [']Third Temple[']".
To be specific, Jewish law obligates the Jewish people to build the Temple, if and when they are able to do so, and the group of people who participate in the rebuilding of the Temple are called the zemach, which means "branch". The zemach is (or are) an expression of the Messiah (Mashiach), and Mashiach is to supervise the construction of the Temple.
Of course, the difficulty comes when we have to figure out how a Third Holy Temple of Jerusalem is supposed to appear atop the Temple Mount, while the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa are already standing there.
From the Muslims' point of view, the burning of the red heifer constitutes a threat to destroy those mosques, because that is apparently the quickest and easiest way to make room for such a Jewish temple.
This is why the discussion of the prospect of the potential upcoming burning of a red heifer, worries Muslims so much. This is a time of inflamed violence between Israelis and Palestinians; especially since October 7th, 2023, since which time some 1,300 to 1,500 Israelis, and over 34,000 Palestinians, have been killed. And a number of other events are happening simultaneously; including the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (as well as a solar eclipse over the United States on April 8th, N.A.S.A.'s ionosphere experiments which involved firing three rockets at the eclipse, and an experiment by C.E.R.N. in Europe).
Moreover, Muslims in the area are aware that rabbis in Israel are planning to burn a heifer (or heifers). It's possible that this awareness could explain the motivation for some of the attacks originating from the Palestinian side. The reasons which Palestinians would have, to be worried about the burning of the heifer and the establishment of the Temple, include the possibilities that those events would be touted by Israelis as successes which ostensibly prove the Jewish prophecies and religion correct; and that this could potentially serve to justify and excuse further oppression of - and violence against - Palestinians in the future.
You can read about some of the clashes at - and conflicts over - the Al-Aqsa compound, over the last two years, by visiting the following links:
1. 2023 Al-Aqsa Clashes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Al-Aqsa_clashes
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/17/israeli-forces-attack-palestinian-worshippers-at-al-aqsa-mosque
http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/israel-opt-second-night-of-horror-at-al-aqsa-mosque/#:~:text=Israeli%20forces%20regularly%20raid%20al,cities%20and%20towns%20inside%20Israel.
2. 2024: Jordan Says Israel's Al-Aqsa Restrictions Risk Explosion:
http://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-israels-al-aqsa-mosque-restrictions-risk-explosion-2024-03-11/
6. Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock Lost on Christians and Westerners
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templum_Domini
The Crusaders converted the mosque into a church in 1099.
http://aleteia.org/2021/06/03/when-mass-was-celebrated-in-the-dome-of-the-rock/
The following year, Bolduan (born in France in the 1060s) became the first Christian King of Jerusalem, taking the name King Baldwin I.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalem
According to the same article above - from Aleteia.org - the Dome of the Rock is the same site from which the Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to Heaven during the famous "Night Journey" or "Night Flight". Muslims call this journey the "Mi'raj", and believe that Muhammad spoke to G-d during this journey.
It is not universally agreed upon, by Muslim scholars, whether Al-Aqsa Mosque is the site from which that journey began or ended, nor whether that mosque was involved in the journey at all (given that it was not constructed until after Muhammad's death). However, Muhammad is said to have been taken from the "Sacred Mosque" (i.e., the mosque in Mecca) to the "Farthest Mosque", which Muslims generally agree is a reference to Al-Aqsa.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra%27_and_Mi%27raj]
According to a Muslim commenting on Quora.com, hadiths claim that Muhammad felt that he had a duty to build an Islamic temple on Mount Moriah because the temples of David and Solomon had sanctified the site.
Also, Jews believe that this is the same site where Abraham - the father of all Abrahamic religions - was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac, but was stopped by the Angel of the Lord (as detailed in Genesis 22).
Additionally, the Dome of the Rock is named for the rock which is located inside the building, around which the temple was built (serving to protect the rock).
It was on this rock that biblical patriarch Jacob (son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham) is said to have laid his head, and dreamed of a ladder leading to Heaven.
This event is detailed in Genesis 28, and is followed by G-d telling Jacob "I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying" (Genesis 28:13).
http://biblehub.com/genesis/28-13.htm
But perhaps what's most important of all - to all Abrahamic faiths - is what's underneath that rock (dubbed "the Foundation Stone", and also called the "Pierced Stone" or "Noble Rock").
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_Stone
And that is the Well of Souls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_of_Souls
Thus, if either Al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock - or both - were to be damaged, then Christians and Muslims the world over - as well as those who value history and the preservation of historical sites - would suffer a tremendous loss.
That is why this is so important.
U.N.E.S.C.O. (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) refers to Al-Aqsa by its Arabic name only.
[Source: http://www.dw.com/en/unesco-approves-resolution-on-jerusalem-holy-site/a-36162918]
However - and unfortunately - al-Aqsa Mosque is not on U.N.E.S.C.O.'s list of World Heritage Sites.
[Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/]
That is the situation we are in.
So, even if the rebuilding of the Third Jewish Temple is not necessary for the red heifer to be slaughtered and burned, eventually news may come that a red heifer has been slaughtered. And, according to Jewish tradition, the rebuilding of the Temple is to follow.
And, in the rebuilding of the Temple (whether Mashiach will be around for the beginning of its construction or not), the questions of which particular locations atop Mount Moriah are appropriate for that site - and of whether building a Jewish temple there will require the partial or total destruction of Al-Aqsa compound - will have to be answered.
But - hopefully prior to that happening - Al-Jazeera writer Mersiha Gadzo and others will caution us that the Mashiach is supposed to return in-between these two events - i.e., slaughter of heifer, followed by burning of heifer, then return of Mashiach, then construction of the Jewish temple - and we should be careful not to forget this fact, because it may come up later. Especially so if rabbinic groups burn a heifer, and then make significant strides towards the construction of the temple, without near-universal agreement among Jews that the Mashiach has come, and regarding what his (or its) identity is.
Therefore, today - especially considering the recent violence - Mount Moriah and Al-Aqsa compound are under considerable danger.
That is why it is such a shame that Christians, Muslims, and secular people have lost sight of - and forgotten - what is precious about these sites. The Dome of the Rock has come to be associated so much with Islam, that those who are eager to support U.S. involvement in the State of Israel's wars, have caused us to forget its Catholic, Christian history.
People who are concerned about this should do anything and everything they can to encourage interfaith dialogue and education about other religions (of course, in a manner which does not directly instruct children and other unwilling people to write or utter prayers of religions they don't wish to practice), or else religious sites of historical significance could be threatened in future wars.
Until the end of the occupation of the Golan Heights, the cordoning-off and blockading of the Gaza Strip, and the curtailing of liberties in the West Bank, it will always be controversial for Jews to practice their religion freely and openly, and construct monuments, and protest, atop Mount Moriah; and it will always be provocative, in the minds of Muslims, for Jews to attempt to do so.
Therefore, I would recommend that Jews and Muslims (and other groups) in the area, use communal autonomy and decentralized federations or confederations, to resolve their disputes. That is a method which would satisfy Jewish scriptural recommendations that each community have its own court of rabbis, but that Jerusalem's court does not have universal authority over every Jewish community. Moreover, it would allow Muslims to exercise authority over Muslim-majority communities.
I would also urge people to familiarize themselves with, and consider supporting, the 1947 U.N. partition plan, which would have made Jerusalem into a U.N.-administered international zone.
7. Post-Script
Please read my recent article "Israelis' and Palestinians' Unwillingness to Forgive Casualty-Free Attacks Leads to Deaths on Both Sides", which can be accessed at the following address:
http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/israelis-and-palestinians-unwillingness.html
You can also read my August 2020 article "Why I Support Autonomy, But Not Statehood, For Palestinians" at the following address:
http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-i-support-autonomy-for-palestinians.html
My 2011 article "A Jewish and Democratic State" - which has links to the bottom that lead to numerous other articles I've written on Israel and Palestine - is available here:
http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html
Additionally, there is a search bar on my blog (located at the top-right of this article and all articles) which will allow you to search for any and all articles that I have written about Israel, Palestine, and any other topic.
were written, and published incomplete, on April 11th, 2024.
Originally published under the title
"Sacrifice of Red Heifer May Require Destruction of
al-Aqsa Mosque and/or the Dome of the Rock Temple"
Edited and expanded on April 12th, 2024.
Edited, expanded, and completed on May 8th and 9th, 2024.