by Beis Hashem Staff
In the previous article, we clarified that the only area on Har Habayis where a tamei mes is forbidden entry with a chiyuv kares is Machaneh Shechina, which is the area where the actual building of the Beis Hamikdash stood on the Har. The rest of Har Habayis has the geder of Machaneh Leviah, which is fully muttar for a tamei mes to enter into, provided that he purifies himself from all tumah sheyatza min haguf.
Practically, though, if we cannot place the location of Machaneh Shechina on Har Habayis, we would still need to avoid entering Har Habayis due to safek issur kares. We first must successfully find a starting point within the Beis Hamikdash (such as the location of the mizbeach or the even shesiya) that we can place with certainty on today's Har Habayis. If we can find such a starting point, we will then be able to map out where Machaneh Shechinah is using the exact measurements found in Mishnayos Middos. This will enable us to know where we must avoid entering into, and more importantly, where one may enter on Har Habayis.
In this article, we’ll first explore the layout and exact dimensions of the Beis Hamikdash and familiarize ourselves with the general layout of the area. We will also explore the characteristics and location of the Even Shesiya within the Beis Hamikdash.
In the next article, we will explore if, based on the mekoros and yedios found in this article, we can potentially place the Even Shesiya on today's Har Habayis, giving us a serious starting point on today's Har Habayis and the ability to map out the Machanos.
In order to build such a magnificent palace for Hashem on a sloping mountain, Shlomo Hamelech built a platform of 500 amos by 500 amos over Har Hamoriah. This platform is called Har Habayis.
The Beis Hamikdash was built on top of the platform. The Beis Hamikdash complex from the soreg onward was exactly 167 amos widthwise (north to south) by 360 amos lengthwise (east to west). This means that the area of the Beis Hamikdash took up approximately a quarter of the Har Habayis, filling up 60,120 square amos out of the total 250,000 square amos of Har Habayis.
While most of the mountain was covered by the platform, the peak of the mountain rose out of the platform. This was intentional, as the Even Shesiya is the peak of Har Hamoriah and is also the floor of the Kodesh Hakadashim.
The peak also didn't stick out at the center of the platform, but rather to the northwest, as noted in the Mishna. This was due to the topography and layout of Har Hamoria, as there was a very gradual ascent on the south of the mountain (where Ir David is located), yet, north of the peak was a steep valley called Nachal Beis Zitah, necessitating the majority of the platform being to the south of the peak. (This valley was later filled in during the siege of Pompey and then used by King Hordus to expand the Har Habayis platform to the North.)
Now, let's explore the actual complex of the Beis Hamikdash. Once one was on the Har, standing east facing west, they would encounter a wall of 10 tefachim surrounding the Beis Hamikdash called the Soreg. After entering through the soreg, they would be in the Chail which was 10 amos in length. In order to enter the Ezras Nashim, one would go up 12 steps. Each of the steps in the Beis Hamikdash was the height of a half-amah. The Ezras Nashim was 135 amos in length and to enter the Azara one would need to go up the famed 15 steps of the shir hamaalos and enter through Shaar Nikanor.
Once inside the Azara, they would be in the Ezras Yisrael which was 11 amos in length. The Duchan, where birchas kohanim took place, was a platform with a few steps and it separated the Ezras Yisrael from the Ezras Kohanim. There were 11 amos between the Duchan and the Mizbeach. The Mizbeach was 32 amos in length and there were 22 amos after the mizbeach until the Heichal building. To enter the Heichal, one would go up a series of 12 steps, made up of a series of 3 steps and then a tread of 3 amos. Once inside, the floor of the Heichal was level until the Kodesh Hakodashim which the even shesiya stuck out of the floor 3 fingers in height. Behind the Kodesh Hakodashim were storage rooms and the outer wall of the Heichal building. There were 11 amos between the western outer wall of the Heichal and the end of the Azara. The walls of the complex were 6 amos thick.
כָּל הָעֲזָרָה הָיְתָה אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע עַל רֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ. מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע, מְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, מְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת הַכֹּהֲנִים אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם, בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמָּה, הַהֵיכָל מֵאָה אַמָּה, וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה לַאֲחוֹרֵי בֵית הַכַּפֹּרֶת
The Azarah was a 187 amos long (east to west) by a 135 amos broad (north to south)... The Ezras Yisrael was 11 amos. The Ezras Kohanim was 11 amos. The Mizbeach was 32 amos. Between the Mizbeach and the Ulam were 22 amos. The Heichal was 100 amos, and there were 11 amos behind the Heichal (11+11+32+22+100+11=187)…
Mishna, Middos 5:1
As noted, the Beis Hamikdash, from the soreg to the Kodesh Hakadashim, rose to a height of 22 amos and 3 fingers over a span of 322 amos. Rambam (Hilchos Beis Habechira, 6:1-5) explains that the position of the stairs in the Beis Hamikdash were not placed at random; rather the Beis Hamikdash rose in parallel to the ascent of the natural mountain:
הַמִּקְדָשׁ כֻּלּוֹ לֹא הָיָה בְּמִישׁוֹר אֶלָּא בְּמַעֲלֵה הָהָר. כְּשֶׁאָדָם נִכְנָס מִשַּׁעַר מִזְרָחִי שֶׁל הַר הַבַּיִת מְהַלֵּךְ עַד סוֹף הַחֵיל בְּשָׁוֶה. וְעוֹלֶה מִן הַחֵיל לְעֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת רוּם כָּל מַעֲלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁלְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה. וּמְהַלֵּךְ כָּל עֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים בְּשָׁוֶה. וְעוֹלֶה מִמֶּנָּה לְעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת הָעֲזָרָה בַּחֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת. רוּם כָּל מַעֲלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁלְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה. וּמְהַלֵּךְ כָּל עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשָׁוֶה וְעוֹלֶה מִמֶּנּוּ לְעֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּמַעֲלָה גְּבוֹהָה אַמָּה וְעָלֶיהָ דּוּכָן יֵשׁ בּוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ מַעֲלוֹת. רוּם כָּל מַעְלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁלְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה. נִמְצֵאת עֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים גְּבוֹהָה עַל שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה. וּמְהַלֵּךְ כָּל עֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וּבֵין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּשָׁוֶה. וְעוֹלֶה מִשָּׁם לָאוּלָם בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת. רוּם כָּל מַעְלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁלְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה וְהָאוּלָם וְהַהֵיכָל כֻּלּוֹ בְּשָׁוֶה. נִמְצָא גֹּבַהּ קַרְקַע הַהֵיכָל עַל קַרְקַע שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח שֶׁל הַר הַבַּיִת שְׁתַּיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמּוֹת
The Beis Hamikdash was not built on flat ground but rather on the incline of Har Moriah. A person who entered from the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount would proceed to the end of the Cheil on one level. He would ascend from the Cheil to the Ezras Nashim on twelve steps. Each step was half-amah high and half-amah wide. He would proceed through the entire Ezras Nashim on one level. He would ascend 15 steps to the Ezras Yisrael, which is the beginning of the Temple Courtyard. Each step was half-amah high and half-amah wide. He would proceed through the entire Ezras Yisrael on one level and ascend from it to the Ezras Kohanim using one step that was one amah high (Duchan). Above [that step] was a platform of three steps. Each step was half-amah high and half-amah wide. Thus, the Ezras Kohanim was two and a half amos higher than the Ezras Yisrael. He would proceed through the entire Ezras Kohanim, [the area of] the Mizbeach, and the space between the Mizbeach and the Ulam on one level. From there, he would ascend to the Heichal using twelve steps. Each step was half a cubit high and half a cubit wide. The Ulam and [the remainder of] the Heichal building (Kodesh and Kodesh Hakodashim) were both on the same level. Thus, the ground on which the Heichal was located was twenty-two amos higher than the ground on which the Eastern Gate was located.
Hilchos Beis Habechira, 6:1-5
The holiest spot in the Beis Hamikdash was the Kodesh Hakodashim, which was located at the western side of the building. Inside, during the first Beis Hamikdash, was the Aron Habris, adorned with the Kruvim that demonstrated how Hashem felt about Klal Yisrael at any given time. It also housed the Luchos, the Sefer Torah written by Moshe Rabeinu, the Shemen Hamishcha, and a portion of the Mann.
The Kodesh Hakadashim was so holy that only the Kohen Gadol was allowed to enter on Yom Kippur, and if he entered without being properly prepared with the proper kedusha, or if he entered even one time more than the four allowed times, he would die.
During the Second Beis Hamikdash, the Kodesh Hakadashim was empty, as the Aron Habris was nignaz at the end of the first Beis Hamikdash. All the Kohen Gadol would see when he entered on Yom Kippur was the exposed peak of Har Hamoriah, known as the Even Shesiya.
Chazal describe the Even Shesiya as the peak of Har Hamoria and part of the actual bedrock of the mountain, with its roots set at the very foundation of the earth. It was the very first thing Hashem created when creating the universe, and that is why it was named Shesiya:
מִשֶּׁנִּטַּל הָאָרוֹן, אֶבֶן הָיְתָה שָׁם מִימוֹת נְבִיאִים רִאשׁוֹנִים, וּשְׁתִיָּה הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת, גְּבוֹהָה מִן הָאָרֶץ שָׁלשׁ אֶצְבָּעוֹת
Here was a stone from the days of the earliest prophets called “shesiya”, the height of three fingers above the ground of the holy of holies.
Mishna, Yoma 5:2
וּשְׁתִיָּה הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת. תָּנָא: שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה הוּשְׁתַּת הָעוֹלָם. תְּנַן כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר מִצִּיּוֹן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם
Why was it called ‘shesiya’? Tanna: It is because the world was created (hushtas) from it. This is like the opinion that the world was created from Tzion
Bavli, Yoma 54b
The Gemara explains that it was called shesiya because the world was created from it and uses this fact as proof to paskin like the opinion that the world was created from Tzion (and not from the tzdadim). This infers that the Even Shesiya is the peak and bedrock of the mountain, as opposed to a movable stone that happens to be lying on top of Har Hamoriah (for if it were a movable stone, we would have no decisive proof against the opinion that the world was created from the tzdadim, as the stone could have been moved to the location).
The Medrash expounds further about the Even Shesiya that “Hakadosh Baruch Hu created the world, similarly to the way a child is born. Just as a child begins growing at the navel and then develops in all directions, so to Hakadosh Baruch Hu began the creation of His world with the even shesiya and built the world upon it. Why was it named even shesiya?’ Because Hakadosh Baruch Hu began the creation of the world upon it.” Other Medrashim teach that the roots of the Even Shesiya are deep in the tehomos, at the base of the earth.
מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן: "סֶלַע יִשְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלוֹנֵן" (איוב לט כח)... וְתַמָּן תַּנִּינָן, מִשֶּׁנָּטַל הָאָרוֹן, אֶבֶן הָיְתָה שָׁם מִימוֹת נְבִיאִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (דוד ושמואל - רש״י) ׳וּשְׁתִיָּה׳ הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת. וְלָמָּה נִקְרֵאת שְׁתִיָּה? אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא: שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה הֻשְׁתַּת הָעוֹלָם
Mikdash Harishon, it states (Job 39:28), “It dwells and lodges on the rock…” We learned in a mishna (Yoma 5:2): “When the aron had been hidden away, there was a stone there from the days of the earliest prophets (Dovid and Shmuel - Rashi), and its name is ‘Shesiya’. Why was it called shesiya? Rabbi Yosi Bar Chalafta said: Because out of it the world was founded.
Medrash Tanchuma, Acharei 3
...וְהָיָה רוֹאֶה יוֹנָה כָּל מַה שֶּׁבַּיָּם וְשֶׁבַּתְּהוֹמוֹת… וְרָאָה שָׁם אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה קְבוּעָה בַּתְּהוֹמוֹת
And he [Yona, when he was in the belly of the fish] saw everything found in the seas and the depths… and he saw the even shesiya with its base found in the tehomos...
Medrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 8
הַרְאֵהוּ אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה קְבוּעָה בִּתְהוֹמוֹת תַּחַת הֵיכַל ה' וּבְנֵי קֶרַח עוֹמְדִים וּמִתְפַּלְּלִין עָלֶיהָ, אָמַר לוֹ הַדָּג: יוֹנָה, הֲרֵי אַתָּה עוֹמֵד תַּחַת הֵיכַל ה', הִתְפַּלֵּל וְאַתָּה נַעֲנֶה
They saw the Even Shesiya set in the depths under the Heichal Hashem and the children of Korach were standing and davening on it. The fish said to him: “Yona, you are now standing under the Heichal Hashem, daven and you will be answered.”
Pirkei D’rebbi Eliezer, 9
In conclusion, the Even Shesiya is the peak of Har Hamoriah, and is part of the bedrock that goes to the very depths of the mountain. It would need to be 22 amos and 3 fingers higher than the floor of the cheil over a span of 322 amos.
If we were to find a specific ascent of that magnitude over that specific amount of space in the topography of the mountain anywhere on Har Habayis, that would be a significant clue as to where the Beis Hamikdash once stood and, by extension, where a tamei mes is forbidden to enter.
Today, the summit of Har Hamoria resides inside the Dome of the Rock [the building in the center of the Temple Mount with a gold dome] and sticks out about a meter and a half high from the floor of the building. The Dome of the Rock building itself is built on an elevated platform, which rises even more above the Temple Mount. It is also the only place on the entire Har Habayis that has a descent from the peak due east that matches the exact descent mentioned in the Mishna. In the next article, we will explore in great depth why the Even Shesiya must be inside the Dome of the Rock.
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