Speaker 1: Welcome. This is Marsha for Radio I. Today I will
Speaker 1: be reading National Geographic magazine dated September twenty twenty five,
Speaker 1: which is donated by the publisher as a reminder. RADIOI
Speaker 1: is a reading service intended for people who are blind
Speaker 1: or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read
Speaker 1: printed material. Please join me now for the first article
Speaker 1: titled Europe's Wily Wanderer by Kelsey Noah Kowski. Savvy an opportunistic,
Speaker 1: the golden jackal is one of the most successful carnivores
Speaker 1: of the modern era. For many species, climate change has
Speaker 1: been devastating, but for a select few animals, our changing
Speaker 1: planet is offering new opportunities. A recent study in Themalian
Speaker 1: Biology found that over the past two decades, European populations
Speaker 1: of the golden jackal have rapidly expanded their range from
Speaker 1: small pockets in the Balkans and Caucasus to a large
Speaker 1: swath of Europe that stretches from the Arctic Circle to Spain.
Speaker 1: Researchers traced one individual found in Finland to a genetic
Speaker 1: population fifteen hundred miles away in central Europe. How do
Speaker 1: they do it? The wolf like canids demonstrate and impressive
Speaker 1: ability to adapt to diverse locales mezo carnivores. They aren't
Speaker 1: picky eaters and will chow down on everything from birds
Speaker 1: and insects to plants and discarded human food. They can
Speaker 1: change their social structure foraging habits and activity patterns depending
Speaker 1: on what the terrain demands. Solitary if necessary, sure, run
Speaker 1: in a pack, no problem. The jackals seem as at
Speaker 1: home in fragmented farmland, city edges, and suburban gardens as
Speaker 1: they are in forests, steps, and even icy northern landscapes.
Speaker 1: These first generation migrants, says study author vis La Bogdanovitz
Speaker 1: of the Polish Academy of Sciences, don't just adapt to
Speaker 1: new environments, they actively seek them out and thrive. Next
Speaker 1: article Temple of hat Shepsut, Rock of Ages by David
Speaker 1: rahul riebol nesseld in an alcove of rock. Pharaoh Hatshepsut's
Speaker 1: temple had many functions. It has survived the ravages of
Speaker 1: time and Hatshepsut's successor's attempts to erase her name from history.
Speaker 1: Hatshepsut ruled Egypt, first as co regent and then as
Speaker 1: pharaoh for a total of twenty one years. She was
Speaker 1: one of the few women in Egyptian history to retain
Speaker 1: power for so long. She reigned during one of ancient
Speaker 1: Egypt's Golden Ages, when Egypt was awash with wealth. Hatchepsut
Speaker 1: built monumental works all over the nation, a myriad of
Speaker 1: temples and shrines, four giant obelisks at the Temple of
Speaker 1: Amun in Karnak, and countless artworks celebrating her accomplishments and
Speaker 1: immortalizing her prayers. But many of these works were defaced
Speaker 1: and destroyed after her death in fourteen fifty eight BC,
Speaker 1: Hatshepsu's successor, Tutmost, the third, one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs,
Speaker 1: led the charge to erase her name from history. Her
Speaker 1: likeness was chiseled away from monuments and her statues and
Speaker 1: works destroyed. Nevertheless, following a major twentieth century reconstruction, Hatshepsut's
Speaker 1: massive temple at Dur el Bahi Arabic for Northern Monastery
Speaker 1: still stands today, sheltered beneath the red rocks of a
Speaker 1: cliff face. This architectural wonder captivated the ancient world with
Speaker 1: its beauty and his attestament to Hotchepsut's glory and her
Speaker 1: devotion to the gods. Woman who would be king. Hatchepsitt
Speaker 1: was born around fifteen o seven b C. To Tutmos
Speaker 1: the first and his great royal wife, Queen Ahmos. Hatchepsut
Speaker 1: would marry her half brother and heir to the throne,
Speaker 1: Tutmos the second, becoming his great royal wife. Tutmos the
Speaker 1: second died young, leaving behind a two year old son
Speaker 1: born to a secondary wife as his heir. The child
Speaker 1: was too young to rule, so Hatchepsut, the boy's anis
Speaker 1: and stepmother ruled for him. Hot Chepsut gradually transformed her
Speaker 1: role from queen regent to outright pharaoh. When Tutmost the
Speaker 1: third was older, he became her second in command, but
Speaker 1: he would not rule outright as pharaoh until after her
Speaker 1: death around fourteen fifty eight p c. His reign would
Speaker 1: be glorious, filled with triumphs all his own, but while
Speaker 1: he ruled, a systematic campaign attempted to erase Pharaoh Hutchepsut.
Speaker 1: Millennia later archaeologists would put the pieces back together to
Speaker 1: restore Hutchepsot's place in history. Million year temples in the
Speaker 1: new Kingdom period, Hutchepsut was one of the first pharaohs
Speaker 1: who built the so called Temples of Millions of Years
Speaker 1: on the western bank of the Nile, opposite the city
Speaker 1: of Thebes modern day Luxor. Five centuries earlier in Middle
Speaker 1: Kingdom times, Pharaoh meant to Hochep the Second had erected
Speaker 1: the first mortuary temple here. Perhaps inspired by men to Hochep,
Speaker 1: Hotchepsuk installed her massive complex at the foot of a cliff,
Speaker 1: a site now known as Deir al Bahri. This sacred
Speaker 1: location has been consecrated to the goddess hathor protector of
Speaker 1: the dead, and an important funerary deity in thieves. In
Speaker 1: these temples, pharaohs would be worshiped after their deaths. Their
Speaker 1: mummies meanwhile rested elsewhere, entombed in private underground chambers in
Speaker 1: the Valley of the Kings. As well as being used
Speaker 1: for royal funerals, the Temples of Millions of Years were
Speaker 1: the focus for other rituals, some related to royalty, others
Speaker 1: to deities, including the Theban god ah Mun and the
Speaker 1: sun god Ray. Of all the mortuary temples, hot Chepsuits
Speaker 1: would become the main cult structure of the Theban complex.
Speaker 1: Construction lasted some fifteen years and was carried out under
Speaker 1: the supervision of Senenmut, a high official and favorite of
Speaker 1: the pharaoh. The imposing building incorporated ramps and courtyards like
Speaker 1: the nearby Mentuhotep Temple, but Sinnunmut introduced a rubber of
Speaker 1: innovations to create a building of unequaled magnificence. It came
Speaker 1: to be known as Desir de Ziro Holly of Holies.
Speaker 1: Most New Kingdom commemorative temples featured chambers separated by monumental
Speaker 1: gateways pylons, like those that can still be seen at
Speaker 1: Luxor and Karnak. Hotchepsut's temple, on the other hand, was
Speaker 1: arranged around a central ramp or causeway. Spread along this
Speaker 1: causeway at different heights, were three large courtyards. Today, the
Speaker 1: walls and courtyards of hat Shepsut's temple might look somewhat plain.
Speaker 1: In her time, they would have been filled with vibrant color,
Speaker 1: surrounded by lush gardens and pools, and richly decorated with
Speaker 1: sculpture and reliefs. Each decorative element conveyed a religious or
Speaker 1: political message in keeping with the ceremonial use of the
Speaker 1: temple sacred alignments. The layout of hot Shepsut's temple was
Speaker 1: carefully designed. Most obviously, it was positioned to align perfectly
Speaker 1: with the Temple of Omlin at Karnak on the opposite
Speaker 1: bank of the Nile. In addition, the precise east west
Speaker 1: alignment of its central causeway mirrored the daily payoth of
Speaker 1: the Sun, or, according to the beliefs of the day,
Speaker 1: the payoth of the god Ray. The temple was also
Speaker 1: aligned with the Valley of the Kings, which lies to
Speaker 1: the west. This royal necropolis had been inaugurated by hots
Speaker 1: Sheepsut's father, Tutmost the First. In fact, tomb CAVY twenty,
Speaker 1: the burial place of Hutshepsut and Tutmost the First, lies
Speaker 1: in a straight line from the Sanctuary of Omlan, the
Speaker 1: innermost chamber of Hutchepsut's temple. Some experts have suggested that
Speaker 1: the original plan was to connect kV twenty with the
Speaker 1: Sanctuary of Amlun via a temple through the interposing cliff,
Speaker 1: but the poor quality of the rock prevented it. Stone
Speaker 1: balustrades flanked the central ramp, guarded by imposing stone lions.
Speaker 1: A colonnade that separates the first and second courtyards to
Speaker 1: highlight Hotchepsut's piety and devotion, reliefs depict two massive obelisks
Speaker 1: on their way to the temple of Amon at Karnak.
Speaker 1: Around the second courtyard are famous reliefs showing a trading
Speaker 1: expedition that Hotchepsut sent to the land of Punt, believed
Speaker 1: to be located on the Horn of Africa. Mirrh trees
Speaker 1: were brought back from this expedition and planted in the
Speaker 1: temple complex. Their resin would later be used in temple rituals.
Speaker 1: Other reliefs represent the divine birth of Hatshepsut, who, according
Speaker 1: to tradition, had been begotten by the god Aman Rey
Speaker 1: during a visit he made to Ahmos, the wife of Tutmos,
Speaker 1: the first Her divine origin was an important tool in
Speaker 1: legitimizing Hotchepsod's rule over Egypt. In the second courtyard, there
Speaker 1: are also two sanctuaries, one dedicated to Hathor and the
Speaker 1: other to Anubis, a funeral god. Twenty four colossal osidi
Speaker 1: Osyrides statues of Farohatshepsud as Cyrus, god of the afterlife,
Speaker 1: flanked the entrance to the third courtyard. She wears the
Speaker 1: false beard Postiche and the double crown of Upper and
Speaker 1: Lower Egypt Pushent, and she holds the symbols of royalty.
Speaker 1: This uppermost courtyard had sanctuaries dedicated to the royal cult,
Speaker 1: to the solar god rey Harakhti, and to Anubis. In
Speaker 1: the central part of this last courtyard stood the temple's
Speaker 1: innermost chambers, a sanctuary dedicated to ahmen Ree. Inside were
Speaker 1: three adjoining chambers decorated with scenes of Hotshepsut and the
Speaker 1: god Amlan. The sanctuary of ahmen Rah was the main
Speaker 1: setting for a ceremony that was celebrated every year in Thieves,
Speaker 1: the Beautiful Festival of the Valley. The celebration dates back
Speaker 1: to the Middle Kingdom and reached new heights in hot
Speaker 1: Shepsut's time. Badly deteriorated. Reliefs that run along the upper
Speaker 1: courtyard of Hodchepsut's temple depict the festivities during the second
Speaker 1: month of the harvest seasoned Shi Mu. In early rummer,
Speaker 1: the pharaoh would lead a procession bearing the image of Amund,
Speaker 1: followed by a retinue of nobles, priests, dancers, and soldiers.
Speaker 1: They would begin at Karnak Temple across the Nile and
Speaker 1: visit the mortuary temples. After her death, hught Chepsut was
Speaker 1: intentionally consigned to oblivion by Tutmos the third. He ordered
Speaker 1: the demolition of all statues, monuments, and representations of her,
Speaker 1: including depictions on her temple. Yet the building remained on
Speaker 1: the western bank of the Nile. Each year it still
Speaker 1: hosted the most dazzling festival of the Theban Necropolis, standing
Speaker 1: strong through the millennia, a lasting testament to the pharaoh
Speaker 1: who built it. Next article from the National Geographic History Magazine.
Speaker 1: The Temple of Jerusalem by Javierra dal Barco from King
Speaker 1: Solomon to the Roman Empire. According to the Bible, King
Speaker 1: Solomon built the first temple to house the Ark of
Speaker 1: the Covenant. Over time, the structure became the spiritual heart
Speaker 1: of the Jewish faith. Invaders raised it, but the temple
Speaker 1: endured a symbol of survival, resilience, and sanctity. In the
Speaker 1: First Book of Kings Saint, King Solomon stands before the
Speaker 1: people of Israel to dedicate a temple in honor of
Speaker 1: their god Yahweh. The king reminds them that he has
Speaker 1: fulfilled the promise Yahweh has made to Solomon's father, King David.
Speaker 1: But the Lord said to my father David, you did
Speaker 1: well to consider building a house for my name. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: you shall not build the house. But your son, who
Speaker 1: shall be born to you, shall build the house for
Speaker 1: my name. First Kings eight the Bible describes how Solomon's
Speaker 1: temple is meant to replace the Tabernacle, a tent like
Speaker 1: structure that housed the Ark of the Covenant and other vessels.
Speaker 1: The Book of Kings details the construction down to the
Speaker 1: dimensions of different chambers and structures. Measuring about one hundred
Speaker 1: twenty feet long and fifty five feet wide, The Temple
Speaker 1: of Jerusalem took seven years to complete. Scholars have established
Speaker 1: that a temple to Yahweh did exist in Jerusalem during
Speaker 1: the Iron Age, approximately twelfth to six centuries BC. According
Speaker 1: to the Bible, Solomon ruled in the tenth century BC,
Speaker 1: but there is no archaeological evidence corroborating that the temple's
Speaker 1: construction took place during that period. It would have been
Speaker 1: in the interests of the Hebrew Scripture's authors to attribute
Speaker 1: the building of this first Temple to King Solomon, as
Speaker 1: The reigns of Solomon and his father David are depicted
Speaker 1: in the Bible as a golden era. The idea that
Speaker 1: King Solomon sponsored the first Temple bolsters this narrative and
Speaker 1: connects its construction to the concept of a unified Israel centralization.
Speaker 1: The archaeological and historic picture becomes clear in the time
Speaker 1: of Josiah, King of Judah sirca. Six four eight to
Speaker 1: six O nine b c. At this time, according to
Speaker 1: the Bible, the realm of Solomon had split into two kingdoms,
Speaker 1: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
Speaker 1: Jerusalem belonged to Judah. King Josiah commissioned major reforms to
Speaker 1: the existing Temple, which had become far more significant in
Speaker 1: religious life. In Two Kings twenty two, Josiah sends the
Speaker 1: high priest Hilkayah to the temple to count the entire
Speaker 1: sum of the money that has been brought into the
Speaker 1: house of the Lord. The priest discovers a book of
Speaker 1: the Law inside the temple and shows it to the king.
Speaker 1: After he reads it, Josiah decrees that the temple would
Speaker 1: be the one and only place of worship to Yahweh.
Speaker 1: Authorized copies of the book the Law would be kept
Speaker 1: inside the temple. Through his reforms, King Josiah effectively centralized
Speaker 1: power in Jerusalem with the temple at its heart. That
Speaker 1: first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians when they conquered
Speaker 1: Jerusalem in the sixth century b C. During the period
Speaker 1: of Persian rule, and after Alexander the Great's conquest, the
Speaker 1: temple complex was slowly rebuilt. Around five fifteen b C.
Speaker 1: The second Temple was dedicated in Jerusalem. Several centuries later.
Speaker 1: Herod the Great seventy two to four b C, King
Speaker 1: of Judea, made important renovations and expansions to the structure.
Speaker 1: Judea was a vassal province of Rome. Under Herod, the
Speaker 1: temple became a building of impressive dimensions. The famous western walls,
Speaker 1: still visible to day, gives an idea of the scale
Speaker 1: of the temple precinct. The temple sat at the very
Speaker 1: heart of Yahwe worship. The main element of worship was
Speaker 1: ritual animal sacrifice. These ceremonies took place there twice a day,
Speaker 1: and all Jews symbolically participated by paying half a shekel
Speaker 1: to the temple annually. Other acts of worship took place
Speaker 1: in the temple too, such as the reading of hymns
Speaker 1: and psalms, and the congregation receiving blessings from the priests.
Speaker 1: The tablets bearing the law that Yahwe had delivered to
Speaker 1: Moses were kept in the temple inside a cabinet known
Speaker 1: as the Ark of the Covenant. This cabinet was stored
Speaker 1: inside the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place in
Speaker 1: the Temple. The High Priest was the only person allowed
Speaker 1: to enter the Holy of Holies, and then only once
Speaker 1: a year, on the Tis day of Atonement Yam Kippur.
Speaker 1: After the fall, a series of Jewish revolts against Rome
Speaker 1: began eighty sixty six. In the course of putting them down,
Speaker 1: the Romans raised Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple. The
Speaker 1: temple's treasures were looted and taken to Rome. The loss
Speaker 1: marked a radical change in the evolution of Judaism. When
Speaker 1: the Romans destroyed the Temple and dispersed the Saducees, the
Speaker 1: priestly class that had governed it, the Jews lost the
Speaker 1: main element that had united them. It was then that
Speaker 1: the Pharisees took charge of the faith. The Pharisees were
Speaker 1: a Jewish group who focused on the study of the
Speaker 1: law as found in the Torah, the biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Speaker 1: and Deuterontomy, and applied its teachings to daily life. Faced
Speaker 1: with the challenge of the disappearance of the Temple and
Speaker 1: the competition posed by nascent Christianity, the Pharisees convened the
Speaker 1: Synid of Jamnia, a liturgical meeting held in what today
Speaker 1: is Yavna, Israel. Here they established a liturgy of prayers
Speaker 1: to take the place of sacrifice and worship with the Temple,
Speaker 1: which were now impossible. The council also determined the canon
Speaker 1: of writings that would be added to the original five
Speaker 1: books of the Torah to become the Hebrew Bible. Emphasis
Speaker 1: of worship shifted from the location of the temple to
Speaker 1: the reading of the text. From this point on, the
Speaker 1: Torah would be the focus. The new liturgy of prayers
Speaker 1: established by the Synod would be celebrated in community synagogues.
Speaker 1: Before the destruction of the Temple, synagogues had existed as
Speaker 1: study centers, but now their role began to expand Jews
Speaker 1: from any community wherever it was located in the diaspora
Speaker 1: could celebrate the new liturgy simply by designating a place
Speaker 1: to serve as a synagogue. Some elements of the ancient
Speaker 1: cult in the Temple were transposed symbolically in the organization
Speaker 1: of the liturgy. For example, the main obligatory prayer, the
Speaker 1: Amidah or schemona Asrah eighteen blessings, included the blessing given
Speaker 1: by the priests in the Temple. The liturgical services that
Speaker 1: are still celebrated in the synagogue in the morning shaharich
Speaker 1: in the afternoon Minhach symbolized the two daily sacrifices that
Speaker 1: used to be celebrated in the Temple. The memory of
Speaker 1: the temple also led many congregations to build synagogues so
Speaker 1: that the wall bearing the cabinet where the Torah was
Speaker 1: kept was oriented toward Jerusalem. Likewise, during Young Kippur day
Speaker 1: of Atonement, there are two liturgical elements that directly relate
Speaker 1: to the Temple. The first is the blowing of the
Speaker 1: choffar or ramshorn. The chofar is also blown for Rashishana,
Speaker 1: the New Year, a few days before. The second is
Speaker 1: a service at the end of the ceremony which is
Speaker 1: called nilat chain closing of doors. The act echoes the
Speaker 1: solemn moment, moment when the doors of the Temple were
Speaker 1: closed at the end of Young Kippur, a faith transformed.
Speaker 1: It was in the Torah that the symbolic force and
Speaker 1: sanctity of the Temple were most vividly maintained. Those responsible
Speaker 1: for this were the rabbis, who elevated the Torah and
Speaker 1: its study above all else. After the Temple's destruction, the
Speaker 1: Torah took its place as the focus of Jewish life.
Speaker 1: In doing so, Judaism was liberated from depending on a
Speaker 1: single geographical location, instead focusing on a tangible object that
Speaker 1: could be present in every Jewish community all over the world.
Speaker 1: Throughout through the Torah, it was possible to galvanize the
Speaker 1: feeling of belonging among scattered communities, especially between the third
Speaker 1: and fifth centuries BC, when new Jewish communities arose in
Speaker 1: places as far apart as Yemen and the Iberian Peninsula.
Speaker 1: These communities needed common ties that would unite them with
Speaker 1: their breath bren In the most important Jewish centers of
Speaker 1: Palestine and Babylon, the reading of the Torah is still
Speaker 1: at the heart of the Jewish liturgy celebrated every Saturday Shabbat.
Speaker 1: Reading aloud from the Torah is the most important moment
Speaker 1: of the liturgical service. The Torres scroll was removed from
Speaker 1: the Torah arc and carried in procession to the days Bima,
Speaker 1: where the corresponding Torah portion Parashah is read aloud. The
Speaker 1: Torah is divided up in such a way that it
Speaker 1: is read in its entirety every year. To emphasize the
Speaker 1: sanctity of the Torah, the scroll from which it is
Speaker 1: read should never be touched directly. This is why it
Speaker 1: has a handle at each end of the scroll. The
Speaker 1: reader uses a pointer called a yad instead of their
Speaker 1: own finger to guide them as they read. In the Synagogue,
Speaker 1: the Torah is still read from a scroll rather than
Speaker 1: a book, to recall how it appeared in ancient times.
Speaker 1: In the Temple after the tenth century, the Torah and
Speaker 1: the other sacred texts were also copied in codex format.
Speaker 1: As these codices were used for study rather than in
Speaker 1: the liturgy, they could incorporate elements that were prohibited in
Speaker 1: the Trust rolls, such as illuminations three faiths. In Jerusalem
Speaker 1: after the Romans destroyed at Second Temple complex. The site
Speaker 1: plan ruins for centuries. The area contained to hold continued
Speaker 1: to hold great meaning in Judaism, but the temple also
Speaker 1: occupies a significant place in both Christianity and Islam. Passages
Speaker 1: in the canonical Gospels and the Apocryphal Gospels described episodes
Speaker 1: from the life of Jesus that took place at the
Speaker 1: Temple in Jerusalem. Shortly after his birth, Jesus is presented
Speaker 1: at the Temple, and later, while still a child, Jesus
Speaker 1: spends time in the temple debating with teachers of Jewish law.
Speaker 1: As an adult, Jesus cleansed the temple, driving out merchants
Speaker 1: and money changers from the sacred precinct. In the Koran,
Speaker 1: as in the Bible, Solomon is portrayed as the builder
Speaker 1: of the Temple and a figure of immense wisdom. The
Speaker 1: Koran includes the story of Mohammed's miraculous night journey from
Speaker 1: Mecca to the farther place of worship Musjid el Aksa,
Speaker 1: which Muslim tradition identified as the Haram al Sharif, the
Speaker 1: noble sanctuary identified as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In
Speaker 1: this account, Mohammad is said to have traveled there in
Speaker 1: one night prayed with prophets and briefly ascended to heaven
Speaker 1: and prayed with Ibraham, Abraham, Musa, Moses, and Isa Jesus.
Speaker 1: When Muslim forces took control of Jerusalem in the seventh century,
Speaker 1: a d only ruins remained where the Second Temple once stood.
Speaker 1: The city's new rulers established their own place of worship
Speaker 1: where the Second Temple had been. They built the Dome
Speaker 1: of Iraq, the third most sacred site in Islam, next
Speaker 1: to Mecca and Medina on Temple Mount. Later, the El
Speaker 1: Akxa Mosque was built near by. Jerusalem is a city
Speaker 1: of great importance to all three faiths. According to tradition, Abraham, David, Salomon, Jesus,
Speaker 1: and Mohammed all walked here, building of their followings in
Speaker 1: strengthening their faiths. Controlling Jerusalem in the Temple Mount has
Speaker 1: been at the center of violent conflicts stirring and since
Speaker 1: the Middle Ages because of the site's shared significance. Today,
Speaker 1: a respectful, yet sometimes uneasy truce remains in place among
Speaker 1: the three. There are those who pray to rebuild the
Speaker 1: Temple of Jerusalem one day. They believe that the construction
Speaker 1: of a third temple will coincide with or bring about
Speaker 1: the arrival of the Messiah. But there are others who
Speaker 1: have embraced the Temple's role as a symbol of sanctity, wisdom,
Speaker 1: and faith vessels of the book. The Harley Catalan Bible
Speaker 1: is one of more than twenty lavishly illustrated Sephardi Bibles
Speaker 1: produced by the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula between the
Speaker 1: thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. Many of them feature so called
Speaker 1: carpet pages, which are entirely filled with an intricate background
Speaker 1: pattern and colorful illustrations on top. The Harley Catalan Bible
Speaker 1: contains pages featuring the sacred implements of the Temple of
Speaker 1: Jerusalem embossed in gold. Many of these, the Minora, the
Speaker 1: Arc of the Covenant, the table of Showbread, and the
Speaker 1: incense altar are found in the verses of Exodus and
Speaker 1: numbers other Safardi Bibles contain similar layouts of the Temple's
Speaker 1: most sacred implements and vessels. Religious scholars interpret their inclusion
Speaker 1: as a statement of the central importance of the Hebrew
Speaker 1: Scriptures for Jews of the diaspora. After the Roman destruction
Speaker 1: of the Temple in eighty seventy Jews in the diaspora
Speaker 1: could turn to scripture. Their centers of worship could be
Speaker 1: housed in a magnificent illuminated text. More dispersal, destruction and loss, however,
Speaker 1: were soon to follow. In fourteen ninety two, a century
Speaker 1: after the Harley Catalan Bible was produced, the Alhambra Decree
Speaker 1: called for the conversion or expulsion of Iberius Jews, prompting
Speaker 1: a mass exodus of Safardi Jews across Europe and North Africa.
Speaker 1: Reliance on scripture grew as communities spread throughout the world.
Speaker 1: The Temple's predecessor during their time in the Sinai Desert,
Speaker 1: the Israelites kept the Arc of the Covenant in the Tabernacle,
Speaker 1: a tent like structure that went with them as they
Speaker 1: traveled before reaching the Promised Land in Canaan. As described
Speaker 1: in the Book of Exodus, Yahwe gave Moses very detailed
Speaker 1: instructions on building the Tabernacle, from the exact measurements for
Speaker 1: the frame to the colors of the curtains. Yahwe began
Speaker 1: with the need for an innermost shrine, the holiest chamber
Speaker 1: that housed the ark. A curtain separated it from the
Speaker 1: next chamber, where a minora, a table for the showbread,
Speaker 1: and an incense altar were kept. In the outermost room
Speaker 1: stood a sacrificial altar of akasha wood and a bronze
Speaker 1: basin for the priest to wash. The tabernacle's divine design
Speaker 1: would be replicated later in the construction of Solomon's Temple
Speaker 1: the Western Wall. The Roman Empire controlled Jerusalem when Hara
Speaker 1: the Great was its king. Known for his ambitious construction projects,
Speaker 1: Herod turned his attention to the Second Temple around twenty
Speaker 1: b C. He expanded the century's old structure into a
Speaker 1: magnificent complex, but his grand construction only lasted a few decades.
Speaker 1: Following a series of revolts in Judea, Rome raised the
Speaker 1: city and destroyed the temple in eighty seventy. Today, the
Speaker 1: only remnant is a section of the temple's western perimeter wall,
Speaker 1: known as the Western Wall. This place is one of
Speaker 1: the holiest sites in Judaism, not only because of its
Speaker 1: association with the Second Temple, but also because the Holy
Speaker 1: of Holies is believed to be located behind it. From
Speaker 1: all over the world, millions of visitors come to the
Speaker 1: wall to pray. It is traditional to insert little pieces
Speaker 1: of paper bearing petitions to God into the cracks between
Speaker 1: its impressive stone ashlars, imagining Solomon's Temple. According to the Bible,
Speaker 1: King Solomon, son of David ordered the construction of a
Speaker 1: temple in his capital, Jerusalem to house the Ark of
Speaker 1: the Covenant, containing the tablets of the yong Daw of
Speaker 1: the Law that Yahwah had given to Moses. The ark
Speaker 1: had been housed in a portable sanctuary, the tabernacle, which
Speaker 1: the Israelites had employed during their time in the Sinai Desert.
Speaker 1: The First of Kings describes the splendor of Solomon's temple
Speaker 1: in great detail. Solomon lined the walls of the house
Speaker 1: on the inside with boards of cedar, from the floor
Speaker 1: of the house to the rafters of the ceiling. The
Speaker 1: cedar within the house had carvings of gourds and open flowers.
Speaker 1: All was cedar. No stone was seen. The inner sanctuary.
Speaker 1: He prepared to set there the Ark of the Covenant
Speaker 1: of the Lord. He overlaid it with pure gold. He
Speaker 1: also overlaid the altar with cedar. Solomon overlaid the inside
Speaker 1: of the house with pure gold. Then he drew chains
Speaker 1: of gold across in front of the Inner Sanctuary and
Speaker 1: overlaid it with gold. Next, he overlaid the whole house
Speaker 1: with gold, in order that the whole house might be perfect.
Speaker 1: Even the whole altar that belonged to the Inner Sanctuary
Speaker 1: he overlaid with gold. King six fifteen through twenty two
Speaker 1: Beginnings and Endings circa nine sixty PC. Solomon's Temple is
Speaker 1: thought to have been built, although no corroborating archaeological evidence
Speaker 1: has yet been found seventh century BC. According to two Kings,
Speaker 1: King Josiah carries out religious reforms at the temple after
Speaker 1: the Book of the Law is discovered there. Circa five
Speaker 1: eighty six BC, the troops of Nebuchonezer the Second conquered Jerusalem.
Speaker 1: He exiles its citizens to Babylon and lays waste to
Speaker 1: the First Temple. Circa five thirty nine BC, Persian ruler
Speaker 1: Cyrus the Great allows the exiles to return to Jerusalem
Speaker 1: and sanctions construction of the Second Temple. Twenty two b C.
Speaker 1: Herod the Great, King of Judaea, greatly expands the Second Temple.
Speaker 1: When Judaea is controlled by the Holy Roman Empire eighty seventy,
Speaker 1: putting down rebellions in Jerusalem Roman legions raised the city
Speaker 1: and destroy the Suk Second Temple. This concludes readings from
Speaker 1: National Geographic Magazine for today. Your reader has been Marshall.
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Speaker 1: great day.