The capture of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount 50 years ago sent shockwaves throughout the Jewish world. It also raised hopes for the building of the third temple. On June 7, 1967, Israeli Brigade Commander Col. Motta Gur made an announcement that Jews had waited to hear for some 2,000 years. “The Temple Mount is in our hands! The Temple Mount is in our hands!” he declared.
Retaking this ground was important for a number of reasons. For one, it’s where King Solomon built the first Jewish temple. After the Babylonians destroyed it, Zerubbabel (the head of the tribe of Judah when the Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile) laid the foundation stone for a second temple that was later expanded by King Herod. That temple fell in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans. FULL REPORT
