About Asaf Abir Expertise 1. Matters that have to do with the Hebrew language, the jewish culture and religion, hebrew classic and contemporary literature.
2. Current and historical events in Israeli politics, society and media.
3. Political Science: paradigms, theories, methods and current analysis.
Experience Chief editor of an Israeli online newspaper (Nana News, online: http://news.nana.co.il). enthusiastic about language and etymology, as well as in many a-field.
Organizations I'm here as a private man.
Publications Israeli Newspapers: Globes, Nana News, Netking, Internet Now, Sheinkin Magazine, Mixer and others. Holland: Renaissance Magazine
Education/Credentials BA in Political Science and Theory of Literature (cum lauda) from Tel Aviv University
My name is Curtis Cherry, I am 38 years old my dad is from a Christian background my mom
is of Jewish background, have been to Israel 2 times.
Dear Sir,
I respectfully ask for your instruction regarding a Biblical geography question pertaining to Ezekiel.
The basic question I have: is the relative geographic location of where the Sanctuary described in Ezekiel 40 and onward particularly in chapters 45 & 48 the same place as where the Temple
Mount and Western Wall is today in Jerusalem and the same place where I understand the 1st and 2nd Temple where built?
Here is why I ask the question, in Ezekiel 40 and onward it strikes me that the geographical portions are very symmetrical and that the Holy District would be in approximately the geographical center of the land of Israel and that the Sanctuary would be in the relative center of that. This description as I read it places the Sanctuary position in approximately the precise center of Israel or at least mid point between the east and west borders of Israel in the Holy District.
As I picture it, that would place the Sanctuary of Ezekiel 40 and onward in a different location than where the Temple Mount and Western Wall is today in Jerusalem. Am I correct in this assumption?
Please find below text I find particularly relevant to this Question.
Ezekiel 45: 1-5
Ezekiel 48:8
Ezekiel 48:10
Ezekiel 48:21
Thank you kindly, eager to receive your response,
Curtis
Answer Dear Curtis,
The last eight Chapters of Ezekiel are indeed very interesting, and they hold unique descriptions of the Sanctuary and of the political geography of israel. However, I'm not sure they would lead us to an archeological breakthrough.
Most bible scholars agree that chapters 40-48 in Ezekiel's book are dedicated to the description not of the historical or current-times geography of Israel, but to the future utopic Israel.
The writer of Ezekiel saw the first temple burn, and exiled to Babylon with the rest of the people of Israel. There' he talked about the Godly reasons for Jerusalem's fall, he talked about the future and fate of the different nations in the area - and finally, he talked about the future, godly-led, miracoulous return to Israel, and the way things would be like, then.
He wrote all this probably circa 550BC, years before the actual return to Israel and the building of the second temple.
Indeed, many things he describes in these chapters contradict what we know about the pre-exile Israel: the division of the land between the tribes is not the same as presented in Joshua:19. Chapter 40's descriptions of the measures of the temple itself, are believed to be different from the measures of the original temple (although NO ONE KNOWS what the original first temple really looked like, or was). And he also added and changed other borders and cities, from how they were known before the exile.
But again: Ezekiel did not record. He prophisised.
After the exile, things were not done according to the scrolls of Ezekiel - so since then it is traditionally believed that he described the future MESSIAH-times' Israel.
But as liberated as he had let himself be about Geography - Ezekiel did not "move" the Sanctuary.
Ezekiel 45 and 48 deal with the devision of Israel between the 12 israeli tribes. for Example, Ezekiel 48:7 Talks about the border between the lands of the tribe of Reuben, to those of the tribe of Judah.
The "problematic" Ezekiel 48:8 goes thus:
"And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer..."
- This part indicates that portion of the lands of Judahs (the lands around Jerusalem) is supposed to become an "offering", meaning, supposed to be dedicated to God and his priests.
"...of five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the [other] parts, from the east side unto the west side...".
- This part indicates the actual size of that portion of offered land.
"...and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it".
- And fially, Ezekiel says that the Sanctuary will be somewhere in that part of the land. ("in the midst" is a wrong translation. the origial text simply says "in it").
But even if the temple was said to be put in the "midst" - A check in the maps will make it clear: it's not the midst of the land of Israel, and not in the kingdom of Israel or Judah. It's inside the borders dedicated to the small Tribe of Judah. Just about where Jerusalem and Mount Temple are.
