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Chapter 18 Where can I find the fifth part of glory? -1

At that time Solomon gathered the elders of Israel...to Jerusalem...the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD into the inner sanctum, which is the most holy place...and when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD.Even the priests could not stand and serve because the glory of the Lord filled the temple.Then Solomon said: The LORD said, He will dwell in dark places.I have built a house for your dwelling place, for your eternal dwelling place. ... (Solomon's Prayer) Does God really live on earth?Behold, the heavens and the heavens of heaven are not enough for you to live in, how much less the temple I have built?

——"Old Testament First Kings" Chapter 8 On the afternoon of Thursday, October 4, 1990, I passed through the Jaffa Gate and entered the holy city of Jerusalem surrounded by the ancient walls.As I passed the delightful cafés and hawker stalls of Omar ibn El-Qatab Square, a dizzying maze of ancient cobblestoned narrow The streets are made of. A few years ago, the area would have been packed with shoppers and sightseers, but now it's almost empty.Palestinian harassment, and Iraq's recent threats to "burn" Israel with Scud missiles, are enough to drive out all foreigners.

On my right is the Armenian residential area, and on the left is the Christian residential area, the main building of which is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.There is an "Invention Cross Chapel" in this magnificent building.In 1187 AD, after the Muslim commander Saladin drove out the crusaders in the holy city, he gave the chapel to the Ethiopians in Jerusalem at the request of King Lalibela.Later, the Ethiopians lost the privilege of using this house of worship.But I do know that they still occupy a spacious cloister on the top floor of the church. I walked through the deserted alley and continued eastward.Many of the alleys are lined with canvas awnings to keep out the glare and heat of the afternoon sun, creating a cool, almost Mediterranean climate.A few desperate-looking shopkeepers sat in front of their shops, absentmindedly selling me tourist souvenirs I didn't even want, and bags of ripe citrus I didn't even want to eat.

I walked down Chain Street and saw the Jewish Ghetto on the right.A gang of Hasidic youths in dark clothes and incongruous fur hats were loitering about, announcing by body language that they were masters of the world.The Muslim ghetto to my left had an air of unhappiness, frustration, and restless desperation.Directly in front of me is the "Round Temple of the Rock".Like a golden symbol of hope, it appears above the sprawling buildings of the ancient city.This beautiful mosque was built by the Omar Caliph and his successors in the 7th century and is considered the third holiest site in the Islamic world (Mecca and Medina are the first and second holiest places respectively - author's note) .

It is this Dome of the Rock that I am going to visit, not because of its significance to Muslims, but because it was built on the site of Solomon's Temple.I knew that in the temple I would see a huge stone that Orthodox Jews believed to be "Shetiyyah", "the cornerstone of the world".In the 10th century BC, Solomon himself placed the Ark with his own hands into the "deep darkness" of the cella on this huge rock (see Chapter 12 of this book).Therefore, I hope that by touching the "foundation of the world" I can capture a deeper and more enduring sense of the lost relic I am seeking.It's like a man trying to recall the image of a long-lost lover by touching her clothes.

But that was not the only purpose of my visit to the Rotunda that October afternoon.I knew that I could also visit another building a few hundred meters south of the Rotunda that was central to my visit.That is the El-Aqsa Mosque, which served as the headquarters of the Templars in the 12th century.I think it was probably from this place that they started their investigation of the cave under the "Foundation of the World".Some legends say that the Ark may have been hidden in that cave shortly before Solomon's Temple was destroyed. I first went to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.I took off my shoes and entered the cool and spacious rectangular hall, which is regarded by Muslims as the "farthest holiest place" and where Mohammad is said to have been sent by angels during his famous "Night Tour" .But wherever the prophet prayed during his lifetime (570-632 AD) it no longer exists and what I see now is a mix of different architectural styles, the oldest of which dates back to 1350 AD Before and after, the latest style belongs to the period 1938-1942, when the Italian dictator Mussolini donated the many marble columns in front of me, and King Farouk of Egypt funded the restoration and painting of the ceiling of the hall.

The Templars also left their mark on the Great Mosque.They lived here from 1119 AD until they were expelled from Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187.They contributed to the construction of the Great Mosque, including the three central bays of the cloister.Most of the other buildings they added to the mosque were later demolished.However, their restaurant was preserved (as it is connected to the nearby "Women's Mosque").The vast underground field where they used to be stables (the so-called "Solomon's stables") has also been completely restored. In my socks, I moved cautiously among the Muslims in the hall, who had gathered for afternoon prayers.I felt very relaxed, and felt everything here carefully, and I was very excited.The confluence of eras and influences, the mix of old and new, Mussolini's marble columns, and 11th-century Islamic mosaics all fascinate me.

The hall is very spacious, the candles are brightly lit, and there is a scent of incense.This reminds me of those European knights in those days-long ago, they were born and died here, and named their strange secret sect after "Solomon's Temple"; Only two minutes away from here.The "raison d etre" (French: reason for being - translator's note) of Solomon's Temple is extremely simple.The purpose of conceiving and designing this temple is only to serve as a "temple" to "place the ark of the covenant of the Lord" ("Old Testament·1 Chronicles" Chapter 28, Section 2).But of course the Ark of the Covenant is long gone, and Solomon's Temple is long gone.

The temple Solomon built was razed to the ground by the Babylonians in 587 BC, a second temple was built on its site half a century later, and it was razed to the ground by the Romans in 70 AD.Later, the original site was abandoned until the arrival of the Muslim army in 638, and the Rock Round Temple was built there. Through all these changes, the "foundation of the world" remained in place.The holy ground upon which the Ark rested thus became a constant factor through all the tempests of history.It has seen Jews, Babylonians, Romans, Christians and Muslims come and go, and it survives today.

Putting on my shoes, I left the Al-Aqsa Mosque and walked towards the Rotunda through the tree-fringed outskirts of the Temple Mount.The name of the Rock Dome itself says that it is the guardian of "the foundation stone of the world".The Rotunda is a large and elegant octagonal building clad in dark blue tiles.The main external feature of the Rotunda is its large golden dome, which can be seen from many different places in Jerusalem.But in my eyes, this tall and perfect monument is not confusing and depressing.Instead, it conveys a complex feeling that mixes lightness and grace with a reserved and poised power.

The internal architecture of the rotunda reinforced my first impression.They literally take my breath away.The high dome, the columns and arches supporting the octagonal hall inside, the various niches and recesses, the mosaic decoration, the various inscriptions - all these elements and more are mixed together, their proportions and distribution They are all extremely harmonious, vividly expressing the eternal desire of human beings to pursue the sacred, and showing the nobility and depth of this desire. As I entered the Great Room of the Rotunda, I had lifted my eyes up to the dome, whose farthest point from me was lost in the calm darkness above me.But at this moment, I seemed to be attracted by a strong magnetic force, and I retracted my gaze unconsciously, and looked towards the center of the mosque again.There was a huge tawny boulder there, about thirty feet in circumference, just below the dome.Some parts of the boulder's surface are flat, while others are uneven. This is "the cornerstone of the world".As I walked towards it, my heart beat quickened and my breathing seemed to quicken.It is not difficult to understand why the ancients regarded this huge stone as the cornerstone of the world, and it is not difficult to understand why Solomon chose it as the central cornerstone of the temple.Roughly textured and symmetrical in form, it stood majestically on the bedrock of Mount Moriah, as indestructible as the earth itself. There is a carved wooden fence around the entire central area, but there is a recess in the corner of the fence, where I can stand and reach out and touch the "foundation of the world".Its veins have been smoothed by countless generations of pilgrims before me, and it is so smooth that it resembles glass.I stood there contemplating, absorbing the ancient charm of this strange boulder through the pores of my fingers.To enter this place, to stand at the source of the mystery I was trying to unravel, to savor this moment of contemplation, was a small victory, but it nonetheless meant a lot to me. I withdrew my hand and circled around "the cornerstone of the world".There is a ladder on one side of it, which leads to a hole deep in the bottom of the boulder-it looks like a large stone cabinet like a cave, and is called "the well of the soul" by Muslims.Faithful believers say that the voices of the dead can sometimes be heard here, mixed with the sound of the river in Paradise. However, when I went in, I heard nothing but some whispered prayers.The prayers came from half a dozen pilgrims who had entered the hall before me and were prostrating reverently on the cool rocky floor, praying to Allah the Merciful in Arabic, smooth and sweet.Allah's prophets, including Abraham and Moses, lived long before the time of Muhammad; and Allah is the only true God, indistinguishable from Yahweh, the God of the ark. I know that some Jewish and Islamic legends mention that there is a closed secret passage under the "well of souls", leading to a deep underground.It is said that the Ark of the Covenant was hidden there before the destruction of Solomon's Temple. Many people still believe that the Ark of the Covenant was there at that time, guarded by elves and demons. As I said in the second part of this book, I think that the Templars in the 12th century may have heard these legends and decided to come here to find the Ark of the Covenant.Another version of that story might have been of particular interest to the Templars.It claims to be an eyewitness account: Just before the Babylonian army broke into Solomon's Temple, a man named "Baruch" (Baruch, "Old Testament" Prophet Jeremiah's disciple-translator's note) saw a An "angel of God" is hiding the ark: I saw him come down into the inner sanctum, and take out the curtain, the ark, the veil, and the two tablets of commandment... He cried out to the earth, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Almighty God, Take what I have delivered to you, and guard them until the last moment. Return them when you are told, and let no stranger possess them..." Then the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them. (Quoted from "Syrian Apocryphal Book of Baruch", see H.F.D. Sparks, "Apocrypha of the Old Testament", Oxford Edition, 1989, pp. 843-844) If the Templars were indeed inspired by the above passage and went to the "well of souls" to find the Ark of the Covenant, then I can assert that they must have found nothing.In their eyes, the so-called Apocryphal Book of Baruch (from which the above passage is quoted) could easily be regarded as an authentic ancient document, dating from the 6th century BC.However, modern scholarship has since proven that it was actually written in the late 1st century AD, and therefore cannot be an eyewitness account of the hiding of the Ark, whether by an angel or by someone else Yes, it's impossible.Instead, it is a work of imaginative fiction throughout, devoid of any historical value, despite its bizarre tone and gripping tone. For this reason and others, I am certain that the Templars' excavations on the Temple Mount were in vain.But it also occurred to me that they might have heard later that Ethiopia was the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, and that's why a group of knights went to Ethiopia to find out for themselves whether this claim was true. Now, I am also in pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant, along the roads those knights trekked so many centuries ago.I felt, whether I liked it or not, that the road was leading to that chapel in the holy city of Axum, Ethiopia.But before I set foot on the war-soaked soil of Tigray for myself, I must first be absolutely certain: No other country or region has the sacred Ark of the Covenant.It was this desire that brought me to the site of Solomon's Temple in October 1990.It was this desire that drew my attention to the "foundation of the world" because the Ark of the Covenant was once placed on it, and it was from it that the Ark was later lost. This is the original purpose of my visit here.However, now I intend to use the rest of my stay in Jerusalem to interview some authoritative figures in the religious and academic circles, and to do my best to investigate the circumstances surrounding the "mysterious disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant" as much as possible.Only after completing these investigations, I still firmly believe that "Ethiopia is the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant", will I finally decide to venture to the city of Axum.But I still hope: on Epiphany in January 1991, the holy relic that is supposed to be the Ark of the Covenant will be carried out in procession, that ceremony is less than 4 months away.So I'm well aware that I'm running out of time. "What house will you build me?" I have already said that the placement of the ark into Solomon's Temple must have occurred around 955 BC. "Old Testament 1 Kings" describes it like this: At that time Solomon gathered the elders of Israel...to Jerusalem...the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD into the inner sanctum, which is the most holy place...and when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD.Even the priests could not stand and serve because the glory of the Lord filled the temple.At that time Solomon said: "The LORD said, He will dwell in a dark place. I have built a house for you to dwell in, for your eternal dwelling place."... (Solomon's prayer) Does God really live on earth?Behold, the heavens and the heavens of heaven are not enough for you to live in, how much less this temple that I have built? ("1 Kings" chapter 8 verses 1, 6, 10-13, 27) The Bible says that Solomon then turned his heart "after other gods" and worshiped "Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians" and "Milech, the abominable god of the Ammonites" ( See 1 Kings 11:45).Although it is said that Solomon's wisdom surpassed "all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (see 1 Kings 4:30), considering Solomon's apostasy tendencies, I find it difficult to believe that this wise man The king had had great respect for Jehovah. By the same token, I also believe that Solomon's expression of doubt about the Temple's ability to "house" the Ark of the Covenant was not praying to the omniscient, omnipresent God of Israel.On the contrary, in my opinion, these peculiar words of Solomon are actually expressing a real concern, a concern that is practical rather than illusory.Even if the ark is now firmly fixed on the "foundation of the world", wouldn't it suddenly get out of control?Are not the unpredictable energies imprisoned in the Ark still powerful and dangerous enough to break through the gloom of the cella and destroy the great "dwelling" built around it? It appears that Solomon's Temple looked less like a few temples built for a god (who was so beloved and had no mortal body) but more like some kind of prison built for the Ark of the Covenant.I think this explanation makes practical sense. In the cella of the Temple, above the winged angels facing each other at the two ends of the golden lid of the Ark, Solomon had placed two other gigantic statues of winged angels—horrible guards in fact, with wings outstretched at least There are 15 feet, and they are all covered with gold (each wing is 5 cubits long, which is about 7.5 feet, see "Old Testament · Chronicles" Chapter 3, Section 11 and "1 Kings" Chapter 6, Section 24 section; according to the Jerusalem translation of the Bible, the winged angels appear to be made of olive wood and covered with gold—author's original note). At the same time, the inner hall itself is a perfect cube, an extremely strong regular cube. The "Bible" also clearly stated that the inner temple was built to "place the ark of the Lord" ("1 Kings" Chapter 6, Section 19).The inner sanctum is 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high (see "1 Kings" chapter 6, verse 20: "Twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high"), its floor, The zenith and the four walls are riveted with gold nails to the fine gold plates. It is estimated that the total weight of gold is 45,000 pounds (according to the data provided in Chapter 3, Section 8 of 2 Chronicles, these places in the inner sanctum used a total of 600 "talents" of gold; in ancient times 1 "talent" equaled approximately 75 pounds, so the total weight was 45,000 pounds, or over 20 tons - author's original note). This golden square was not the only feature of Solomon's Temple that caught my attention.At least the lineage of the builders of the cella is equally intriguing.He was a foreigner, called to finish all the other metal vessels Solomon needed: Solomon III sent to Tire and called Hiram.He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali... Hiram was full of wisdom, intelligence, skill, and skill in all kinds of bronze work. ("1 Kings" chapter 7, verses 13 and 14) As soon as I saw the above passage, I immediately noticed the words "the widow's son".Why is this?Because I know: "The Legend of the Holy Grail" used almost exactly the same words when the protagonist Parsifal was first mentioned: "The widow's son." (See Chrétien de Troyer: "Legend of King Arthur" , English edition, 1987, p. 375) Indeed, Chrétien de Troyer, founder of the Holy Grail romance genre, and his successor, Wolfram von Eschenbach, used At length, it is clear that Parsifal's mother was a widow (cf. Wolfram von Eschenbach: Parsifal, Penguin Classics, 1980, pp. 62-67 and pp. 70-71). I wonder if this is another weird coincidence?Despite its often deceitful profusion of symbolism, the fictional quest for the Holy Grail still appears to have been carefully crafted to represent, in a code, the real quest for the lost Ark of the Covenant.Could it be so? I have already concluded that whether it is the pursuit of the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, the Templars are the protagonists, and after the sect was destroyed in the 14th century, many of their traditions were preserved by the Freemasons.Therefore, the "Hiran of Tyre" who was summoned by Solomon to Jerusalem in the Bible is not only a widow's son like Parsifal, but also a figure highly valued by the Freemasonry—they called Hiram "Hurran Abif" and mention him in all their most important ceremonies.I was intrigued to learn of this situation. Masonic lore says that soon after Hiram completed the bronze work on Solomon's Temple, he was murdered by three of his assistants.For some reason, the Freemasons considered this event to be of such great significance that it was even commemorated in the rites of the Masonic Masters' Assembly.In this ceremony, each new master assumes the role of Huran.I have read in one authoritative text a description of the relevant part of this ritual (which is still practiced today in Freemasonry): The novice lay blindfolded on the ground and heard the three murderers say that he would bury him in a pile of rubble first, and then carry the body out of the temple at midnight.To symbolize the burial of Huran Abif, the initiate who plays Huran is wrapped in a blanket and carried to one side of the room at f4.He soon heard a bell ringing twelve times, and he was carried from the "crushed stone" tomb dug on a hill "west of Mount Moriah (i.e., the Temple)."He heard that the murderers planned to plant an acacia branch on his grave as a marker, and then prepare to cross the Red Sea and flee to Ethiopia. (John Robinson Jr.: "Born in Blood", p. 219) There are two other coincidences here: a small coincidence, namely the acacia branch (of which the Ark was also made); They intend to flee to Ethiopia.Although I don't know how important these details should be, I can't shake the feeling that these details must be related in some way to my quest for the Ark. I studied the Bible again and found the following passage, which further deepened my suspicion.One of the bronze works that Hiram made for Solomon's Temple is mentioned in that passage: A copper sea was round in shape, five cubits high, ten cubits in diameter, and thirty cubits in circumference... The sea was one palm thick, with sides like the rim of a cup, and like lilies, and could hold two thousand baths. ("1 Kings" chapter 7, verses 23 and 26) I learned that this "sea" was once placed in the courtyard of the temple.It is a huge copper basin, 15 feet in diameter and 7.5 feet high.It weighs about 30 tons without water, and it usually has to be kept filled with about 10,000 gallons of water (see M. Paul et al., Biblical Archeology, Jerusalem Edition, 1973, Part III, p. 257).Most authorities freely admit that they don't know what the copper sea was for, only some think it symbolizes the "prime waters" mentioned in Genesis.Others believe that it was used by priests to cleanse their hands in rituals. However, I don't think any of these hypotheses are satisfactory, and the latter seems the least likely, because it is quite clear in the Bible: Hiram also made 10 small steel basins, which were used by the priests to clean their hands Yes—these copper basins had racks on wheels, and each contained "forty batts" (1 Kings 7:38).So, after studying this evidence, I wrote the following inferences in my notebook: Wouldn't Hiram's copper "sea" for the courtyard of Solomon's Temple be a return to ancient Egyptian ritual?Those ceremonies seem to have closely imitated the ceremonies of the Ark of the Covenant.At Luxor's Apat festival, the "holy cabinets" containing statues of the gods were carried to the water's edge (see Chapter 12 of this book).And today's Ethiopia is indeed holding this kind of ceremony: on the Epiphany Festival in Gondar, those tabots were also carried to the "holy lake" behind the old castle (see Chapter 11 of this book).Therefore, this copper sea may also be some kind of holy lake.bar? According to the "Bible", other copper works made by Hiram for Solomon's Temple include "basins, shovels and sprinkler bowls" ("1 Kings" Chapter 7, Section 40; "Sprinkle bowl" in the Chinese "Bible" Originally translated as "plate"——Translator's Note), and: Two pillars of steel, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference... He set up two pillars at the front of the porch of the temple: the one on the right and called it Jachin, and the one on the left and called it Boaz... ...and thus the work of the pillars was completed. ("1 Kings" chapter 7 verses 15, 21, 22) I discovered that there are Jachin and Boaz in Masonic lore as well.According to the "old ritual", these two huge pillars are hollow, and they are to be filled with "ancient records" and "valuable writings" that record Jewish history.The Freemasons claim that these records contain "the history of the Shamir and its owner". This "Shami magic stone" aroused my curiosity.What exactly is it?Is it just a Masonic secret? Is it mentioned in the Bible? After a hard search, I confirmed that the word "Shami" only appeared four times in the "Old Testament" and "New Testament", three of which were used as place names, and one was a man's name (see " Old Testament Joshua Chapter 15 Section 48, Old Testament Judges Chapter 10 Section 1, Old Testament Judges Chapter 10 Section 2 and Old Testament Chronicles 1 Chronicles, Chapter 24, Section 24).Therefore, it is obvious that what is mentioned here is not the "Shami Magic Stone", but the latter is the secret that the Freemasonry claims to be sealed in the Hulan Copper Pillar. But I still found the information I was looking for, but not in the Bible, but in the Talmud and Jewish Exposition that I had at hand. Moses once commanded the Israelites to "do not move iron objects" when building the sanctuary (see "Old Testament Deuteronomy", Chapter 27, Section 5). Therefore, Solomon also ordered the craftsmen to dig and carve the huge stones on the outer walls of the temple and the courtyard Hammers, axes, and chisels are not to be used.He provided the artisans with an ancient device dating back to the time of Moses himself.This device is called "Sand Mi", and it can cut the hardest material without friction or heat. "Shami" is also known as "the stone that can split the rock", To preserve the sammi, do not put it in an iron container, nor in any metal container, because it will burn such containers to pieces.Wrap it in a sheep towel and put it in a lead box filled with wheat chaff... After the temple was destroyed, Shami also disappeared. (L. Ginsberg: "Jewish Legends" Volume 1, p. 34) I am fascinated by this strange ancient legend.It also says that sandstone is "hard enough to cut the hardest diamonds" (op. cit., p. 34).Later I found another version of this legend, which also said that the Shami stone worked very quietly and without noise (Islamic legend quoted in A. Horn's "Masonic Legend of King Solomon's Temple", see page 165 of the book). My conclusion is that, taken together, the nature of these features (and like many of the Ark's features) sounds technical rather than "magic" or supernatural.I also think it's also significant that this particular device (also like the Ark) has a direct connection to Moses.Finally, the Freemasonry independently maintains the legend of Sammy, which I do not think is unrelated.The Freemasons claimed that the secret of the Shami magic stone was once sealed in two copper pillars, and the widow's son Hulan once put the two copper pillars "in front of the hall porch". Knowing nothing about the long-lost "secrets," I knew that this thread would lead nowhere.But I still feel that the Shami stone deepens a mystery, the core of which is the strong fortress on the top of Mount Moriah. What is its real nature, and its purpose of building is very clear, that is to "place the ark of the covenant of the Lord".Solomon's Temple, with its bronze pillars, bronze sea, colossal statues of winged angels, and gold nave, was clearly a special place of elaborate construction, a focus of superstition and religious fascination, and a center of Jewish faith and cultural life .So how did the Ark of the Covenant disappear from it? three looters There is an obvious answer to the above question, and if the answer is true, it proves that the statement "Ethiopia is the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant" is completely untrue.The answer is that after Solomon's death, Israel was stricken by sword several times, and in one of those disasters, the Ark of the Covenant was taken from the Temple. The first disaster occurred in 926 BC, during the reign of Solomon's impotent son Rehoboam.According to the "Old Testament: 1 Kings", an Egyptian pharaoh named "Shishak" (Sheshonq or Shishak) launched a large-scale invasion of Israel: In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up to attack Jerusalem, took away the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and took them all away. ("1 Kings" chapter 14, verse 25) This account is hopelessly terse, and nowhere in it does it indicate that Shishak's spoils did not include the Ark of the Covenant.However, if it had been taken captive only 30 years after Solomon placed it in the Temple, then I think the biblical writers would have referred to this event and lamented the loss of this precious holy relic .However, they said nothing about it.This, I think, means one of two things: either the ark had been secretly removed before the arrival of the Egyptian army (perhaps it was removed during the reign of Solomon, as the Ethiopian legend says); During the invasion, the Ark remained "in situ" in the inner sanctum.But it seems most unlikely that this pharaoh would take the ark. Shishak himself left a relief depicting a grand triumph in the Egyptian temple of Karnak, and the content of the relief implies that he did not take the Ark of the Covenant.I have been so familiar with that relief from my several visits to Egypt that I am sure it does not mention the Ark at all, nor the siege and sack of Jerusalem for it.After further checking, I can now confirm that my impression was correct.One authoritative treatise unequivocally declares that the vast majority of the towns Shishak sacked were in northern Israel: According to the Bible, Shishak's attack target was Jerusalem, but the inscription on the relief does not include Jerusalem.Although the inscription on this relief has been severely damaged, it is certain that Jerusalem was not listed as the target of the attack, because the inscription lists the attack locations in order of geographical location, and does not include Jerusalem. Then, what was the situation in the holy city at that time, so that it can explain the emphasis in the Bible that Shishak plundered "the treasures in the house of the Lord and in the royal palace"? I found that the unanimous view of scholars is that Shishak did surround Jerusalem, but never actually entered the holy city; he did "take away the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the royal palace" (some authorities believe that only a part of the Egyptian army at that time Passing through Jerusalem, and those treasures were probably handed over by King Rehoboam - author's note).What's more, even if the ark was still in Jerusalem in 926 BC, it is impossible for these treasures to include the ark.On the contrary, these trophies are far less sacred. Most of them are civil and royal offerings to Jehovah, and most of them are quite expensive gold and silver products.These offerings are not placed in the inner hall of the temple, but in a special treasury in the outer part of the temple. The "Old Testament" has always referred to them as "the palace treasury".A prominent biblical scholar noted: These treasures were sometimes plundered by foreign invaders, and sometimes used up by kings whose treasuries were scarce.Therefore, the treasury of the royal palace is often full at times and empty at other times... Therefore, Shishak’s invasion failed to touch the inner sanctum of Solomon’s temple at all, and it is completely wrong to connect that invasion with the disappearance of the ark. (M Harlan: Temples and Sacrificial Activities in Ancient Israel, Oxford Edition, 1978, p. 284) I find that this reminder applies equally well to the analysis of the next looting that appears to have come to Solomon's Temple.At that time, the united Israel of David and Solomon had been divided into two rival kingdoms: the southern "Kingdom of Judea" (which included Jerusalem) and the northern "Kingdom of Israel".In 796 BC, Jehoash, king of the northern kingdom, fought Amaziah, king of southern Judea, at Bethshemesh: The Jews were defeated before the Israelites, and each fled to his home.Ash the king of Israel took...Amaziah at Beth-shemesh...and he came to Jerusalem and pulled down the walls of Jerusalem...and took all the gold and silver and all the utensils that were in the house of the LORD and in the treasury of the king's palace. ("Old Testament: Second Kings" Chapter 14, Section 12-14) Likewise, this sacking of the Temple did not include the cella and the Ark of the Covenant.One authority on this history states: Joash didn't even enter the outer sanctuary of the temple, and certainly not the inner sanctum... To say that Joash took the treasures of "the house of the Lord" is just a shorthand for "the treasury of the house of the Lord".This can be seen from the following fact: "The Bible" always uses "the palace treasury" and "the treasury of the house of the Lord" side by side. (M. Harlan: "Temples and North Worship Activities in Ancient Israel", Oxford Edition, 1978, footnotes on pages 277 and 285) This is the truth about Shishak and Joash robbing Jerusalem.Neither of these men claimed to have taken the Ark of the Covenant, nor is it recorded in the Bible that they did it, for reasons that are now clear to me: neither of them ever entered the chamber where the Ark of the Covenant was hidden. Temple, but only took away less precious gold and silver treasures. However, as for the next most powerful invader to sack Jerusalem, the situation was different.He was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.他曾两次攻占圣城耶路撒冷。第一次是在公元前598年,他显然进入了所罗门圣殿。 《圣经》是这样描述这场灾难的: 那时,巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的军兵上到耶路撒冷,围困残……尼布甲尼撒就亲自来了。犹太王约雅斤和他母亲、臣仆、首领、太监一同出城,投降巴比伦王,巴比伦王便拿住他。那时,是尼布甲尼撒王第八年。巴比伦王将耶和华殿和王宫里的宝物都拿去了,将以色列王所罗门所造耶和华圣所里的金器都毁坏了。(参见《列王纪下》第24章第10-13节,中文《圣经》上"耶和华圣所"原为"耶和华殿"——译者注) 尼布甲尼撒的战利品都包括什么呢?我已经知道,"耶和华殿和王宫里的宝物"不可能包括任何像约柜这样的圣物。前面已经提到,这些用语在希伯来原文中有非常具体而明确的意义,仅指王国和神庙宝库中那些不太重要的财宝。 到目前为止,一个更重要的情况是:这位巴比伦王"将以色列王所罗门所造耶和华圣所里的金器都毁坏了"。我发现,被《耶路撒冷圣经》的翻译者们译为"圣所"(sanctuary)的这个字,其希伯来原文是"hekal",确切意思是"外围圣所"。 为了确定"外围圣所"的确切位置,我发现回忆一下埃塞俄比亚东正教堂的建筑布局,这会大有帮助。我是在1990年1月去贡德尔城的时候了解到它的布局的,它严格模仿了所罗门圣殿的三重划分的布局。我把这个回忆和有关的最权威研究资料结合起来,便完全确定了一点:埃塞俄比亚教堂里的"keddest"(外围圣所——译者注)就是严格仿照"hekal"建造的。这就是说,尼布甲尼撒洗劫的"耶和华圣所",并不是安放着约柜的内殿,而是内殿的前厅——在古希伯来语里,内殿前厅叫作"debir",和埃塞俄比亚教堂里的"makdas"(内殿——译者注)对应,那里放着塔波特。 所以说,如果尼布甲尼撒第一次进攻耶路撒冷时,约柜还在所罗门圣殿里(而约柜极可能已经被转移,因此这是个退一万步的假定),那就可以断定:这位巴比伦王并没有拿走约柜,而只是"毁坏"和"拿走"了所罗门放在外围圣所里的"金器"。尼布甲尼撒抢走的其他财宝,其名目相当具体,它们是: 内殿(debir)前的精金灯台,右边五个,左边五个,并其上的金花、灯盏、蜡剪,与精金的杯、盘、镊子、调羹、火鼎以及至圣所(Holy of Holies)、内殿(inner shrine)的门枢,和外殿(hekal)的门枢。(参见《旧约·列王纪上》第7章第48-50节;按照作者的考证,其中的"debir"应译为"内殿前厅"而非"内"hekal"应译为"外围圣所"而非"外殿";中文《圣经》的译文没有反映出这些细微差别——译者注) 当然,在这段译文里,"inner shrine"、"debir和Holy of Holies"这三个术语可以互换,都指同一个圣所,那就是所罗门在许多世纪之前放置约柜的那个地方。我证实了这个看法以后,便立即看清了一个事实:尼布甲尼撒虽然没有抢劫内殿,却还是拿走了内殿的门枢。我们完全可以由此得出结论:内殿的大门被卸了下来,这位巴比伦王(或是执行他的命令的那些士兵)因此可以看到内殿前厅(debir)里的情况。 我马上意识到,这是个非常重要的发现。实际上,这是个关键的发现。当年,那些巴比伦人朝内殿里张望,想必立即就会看到那两个带翼天使的包金雕像——所罗门把它们放在约柜上作为护卫。他们也必定会看到约柜本身。他们取下外围圣所(hekal)里器物上的金子时毫不内疚,因此,我们就不得不提出一个问题:他们为什么没有马上冲进内殿前厅,从墙壁和雕像上剥走数量大得多的金子呢?他们为什么没有把约柜掳为战利品呢? 巴比伦人一向蔑视犹太人及其宗教。因此,如果以为他们会出于某种博爱的愿望而没有洗劫内殿,以免伤害被征服者的感情,这就大错特错了。恰恰相反,所有的证据都表明,如果见到约柜以及内殿四壁和天使雕像上的精金这样丰厚的猎物,尼布甲尼撒和他的士兵必定会毫不犹豫地把它们洗劫一空。 当时,巴比伦人每占领一地,都必定要抢走当地人崇拜的重要偶像和圣物,把它们运回巴比伦,供奉在自己神庙中的神明玛杜克(Marduk)前面。约柜就是这类理想的供品。然而,巴比伦人却连约柜的金子都没有动,更不用说把它原封不动地带回国了。实际上,约柜也好,金盖上的带翼天使雕像也好,全都平安无虞。I wrote in my notebook: 合理的结论就是:公元前598年,巴比伦人第一次入侵时,约柜以及包金的带翼天使雕像已经不在内殿前厅(debir)里了。实际上,内殿前厅的四壁、地板和天顶上的金子在此之前已经全被剥走了。这个看法似乎至少可以为埃塞俄比亚人自称拥有约柜的说法提供一个初步证据,因为我已经证实:示撒和的阿施既没有抢走约柜,也没有抢走内殿前厅的其他财宝,而惟有他们才在尼布甲尼撒之前从圣殿中获得过某些财宝。 巴比伦人在公元前598年对耶路撒冷的劫掠,当然并不是尼布甲尼撒发动的最后一次。如果有任何证据表明,尼布甲尼撒第二次洗劫圣城时抢走了约柜,那么,我在笔记中的结论就将被证明是完全错误的。 尼布甲尼撒在公元前598年的入侵成功之后,在耶路撒冷的王位上扶植了一个傀儡国王,名叫西底家(Zedekiah)。然而事实证明,这个"傀儡"却自有打算。公元前589年,他开始起兵反叛他的巴比伦主子。 尼布甲尼撒立即进行反击。他再次进军耶路撒冷,终于攻破了城墙,于公元前587年7月初进入了圣城。不到一个月之后: 巴比伦王的臣仆、护卫长尼布撒拉旦(Nebuzaradan)来到耶路撒冷,用火焚烧耶和华的殿和王宫,又焚烧耶路撒冷的房屋……跟从护卫长的全军,就拆毁耶路撒冷四围的城墙……(又拆毁了)耶和华殿的锡柱,并和耶和华殿的盆座和铜海……将那铜运到巴比伦去了;又带去了锅、铲子、蜡剪、调羹,并祭北所用的一切铜器。香炉和洒水碗,无论金的银的,护卫长也都带去了。所罗门为耶和华殿所造的两根钢柱、一个铜海,和几个盆座,这一切的铜,多得无法可称。(参见《列王纪下》第25章第8-16节,《圣经》中文神版与此处的文字有多处不同——译者注) 以上就是《圣经》提供的一份详细目录,即尼布甲尼撒第二次攻陷耶路撒冷后抢回巴比伦的全部物品和宝物。这里面还是没有约柜、没有所罗门用于内殿内壁以及带翼天使巨像(它们也在圣所里)外面的金子,这个情况非常重要。实际上,除了清单上的物品之外,绝对没有提到其他任何东西,因此很显然:公元前587年的战利品只是从铜柱、铜海以及盆座上捞到的铜,那些东西都是四个世纪以前的户兰制作出来的。 这个战利品清单上的东西,和《圣经》说的公元前598年从圣殿偷走的东西,两者可以相互印证。这极为有力地说明了这份清单的真实性。那一次,尼布甲尼撒虽说没有拿走那些铜器,却拿走了"耶和华殿和王宫里的宝物",剥走了外围圣所(hekal)里所有器物上的金子。因此,11年以后,尼布撒拉旦掠夺的金银才会只有一些香炉和洒水碗。他没有找到任何更有价值的东西,其原因很简单:公元前598年,所有最好的东西都已经被抢回巴比伦了。 我已经知道,两次的战利品里都不包括约柜,因此对我的结论就更有信心了,那就是:巴比伦人入侵耶路撒冷以前的某个时间,约柜必定已经不在所罗门圣殿里了。按照这个思路,对约柜失踪的另一种经常被引用的解释,也就越来越站不住脚,那个解释就是:尼布撒拉旦放火焚烧圣殿时,约柜必定毁于大火。如果约柜真的是在公元前598年以前就被送走了(可能被送往埃塞俄比亚),那么,所罗门圣殿被毁时,它当然就逃过了那场浩劫。 但是,仅仅根据这个推理链条,是否就能肯定约柜已经被转移到埃塞俄比亚去了呢?Of course not.通过进一步的研究,我发现,犹太王国的一些传说为约柜的下落提供了好几种不同的说法,其中任何一种说法只要足够有力,都能否定"约柜在埃塞俄比亚"的传说。因此,这些说法全都值得仔细权衡。 "隐蔽曲折的地窖……" 我弄清的第一个问题是:只是到了建造第二座圣殿时,犹太民族才发觉约柜失踪,并且意识到约柜的失踪是个巨大的谜团。 我已经知道,公元前598年,尼布甲尼撒曾把耶路撒冷的大批居民流放到巴比伦。公元前587年,所罗门圣殿被毁以后, 护卫长尼布撒拉里将城里所剩下的百姓,并已经投降巴比伦王的人,以及大众所剩下的人都掳去了……这样,犹太人被掳去离开本地。(《列王纪下》第25章第11、21节) 耶路撒冷永远不该忘记这放逐的创痛、身为国虏的屈辱和坚定的决心,这个主题在《旧约》里的一首最凄怆、最感人的诗篇里被永久保存了下来: 我们曾在巴比伦的河边坐下,一追想锡安就哭了。 我们把琴挂在那里的柳树上, 因为在那里,插掠我们的要我们唱歌; 抢夺我们的要我们作乐, 说:"给我们唱一首锡安歌吧!" 我们怎能在外邦唱耶和华的歌呢? 耶路撒冷啊,我若忘记你, 情愿我的右手忘记技巧。 我若不记念你, 若不看耶路撒冷过于我所最喜乐的, 情愿我的舌头贴于上膛。 ——《旧约·诗篇》第137篇第1-6节 这种对一个民族的集体放逐不会持续很久。尼布甲尼撒对犹太人的放逐从公元前598年开始,到公元前587年结束。然而,此后不到半个世纪,他统治下的那个曾一度迅速扩张的帝国,却被波斯国王居鲁士大帝彻底摧毁了。公元前539年,居鲁士大帝的军队大获全胜,开进了巴比伦。 这位居鲁士被称为"世界上最令人震惊的帝国缔造者之一",他对统治下的各民族采取了开明政策。当时除了犹太人之外,被囚在巴比伦的还有其他一些民族。因此,居鲁士便致力于给所有的被掳民族自由。不仅如此,他还允许他们从玛杜克神庙里取回他们被劫夺的偶像和圣物,带回家园去。 犹太人自然无法获得这种宽大政策带来的全部好处,因为他们最重要的圣物——约柜并没有被掳到巴比伦。尽管如此,尼布甲尼撒从他们那里抢来的那部分不那么珍贵的宝物,大多还是完好无损。波斯人举行了正式仪式,把这些宝物交还给了犹太国的正式官员。《旧约》里有一段经文,详细记载了这次交接: 古列王(即居鲁士大帝——译者泣)也将耶和华殿的器皿拿出来,这器皿是尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷掠来,放在自己神之庙中的。波斯王古列派库官米提利达将这器皿拿出来,按数交给犹太的首领设巴萨。器皿的数目记在下面:金盘三十个,银盘一千个,刀二十九把,金碗三十个,银碗之次的四百一十个,别样的器皿一千件。金银器皿共有五千四百件。被擂的人从巴比伦上耶路撒冷的时候,设巴萨将这一切都带上来。(《旧约·以斯拉记》第1章第7-11节) 犹太人从公元前538年开始返回故乡。公元前537年春,第二圣殿在第一圣殿被夷平的原址上动工。这项工程于公元前517年完成,这虽说使众人欢喜,但其中也有令人悲哀的理由。把约柜移出第一圣殿,无论是在什么时候,以前这件事显然一直都在向众人隐瞒着(这个任务并不算困难,因为据说只有大祭司才能进入内殿)。但现在,犹太人从巴比伦回来以后,已经不可能掩盖这件珍贵圣物失踪的事实,也无法不让众人知道:约柜已经无法被放进第二圣殿的内殿里了。 《犹太法典》坦白承认了这个巨变:"第二圣殿里有五件东西和第一圣殿的不同:约柜、约柜的外罩、基路伯(即带翼天使雕像——译者注)、火以及乌瑞姆并素米姆"(《希伯来语一英语对照巴比伦犹太法典》,1974年伦敦、耶路撒冷、纽约版)。 "乌瑞姆"(Urim)和"素米姆"(Thummim)是两件神秘的东西(法典中并列为一件),大概是用于占卜的器具,摩西时代一直被保存在大祭司的胸牌里。第二圣殿里没有这些东西。殿里也没有总是和约柜相连的"天火"。当然,约柜本身也失踪了——连同它厚厚的金盖和金盖上那两个带翼天使包金雕像。 这样一来,秘密就暴露了:犹太教信仰的最珍贵圣物已经消失,仿佛化成了空气。不仅如此,人们还知道约柜并没有被掳到巴比伦。那么,约柜到哪里去了呢? 各种说法几乎立即就流传开来。按照事物发展的常例,其中的一些说法很快就带上了揭露真相的特征。大部分说法都认为,尼布甲尼撒当年洗劫圣殿时没有发现约柜,那是因为在巴比伦大军到来之前,约柜已经被小心地藏在了摩利亚山(即圣殿——译者注)的内部,而现在第二圣殿就建在第一圣殿原址上。例如,犹太人被放逐归来后的一个传说里就说,所罗门工早在建造第一圣殿时就预见到了圣殿被毁,因此,他"为约柜造了一个隐藏的地方,它是个隐蔽曲折的地窖"。 我可以相当有把握地说,正是这个传说启发了《伪经·巴录书》的作者。他暗示说,约柜被那块巨大的"世界的基石"(Shetiyyah)底下的大地吞了进去。 我知道,这部成书较晚的伪经里的说法根本就不可信。尽管如此,我还是发现了另外一些记述,它们同样提到了圣殿山的地底下有个秘密的洞穴,而那就是约柜的最后安放地。 《犹太法典》为了强调那个地窖可能就在内殿的地底下,还表示了"约柜被埋进了它自己的地方"的见解。据说,埋约柜的是国王约西亚(Josiah),他在公元前640年到公元前609年统治耶路撒冷,换句话说,他的在位期结束后只有十年,巴比伦人就第一次攻占了耶路撒冷。这个故事里说,这位国王长期统治的末期,约西亚预见到"圣殿不久即将被毁",便"隐藏了约柜及其全部附属物,以免让它们落到敌人手里,遭到亵渎"(L·金斯伯格:《犹太人的传说》卷4,第282页)。 我发现,这个信念普遍深入人心。不过,并不是所有的传说都认为藏约柜的地窖就在内殿的地底下。《米什纳书》(Mishnah)里记载的一个类似传说,暗示约柜被埋在了"那座木屋地板的下面,以防它落入敌手"。那座木屋就在所罗门圣殿区内,但因为犹太人从巴比伦放逐归来时,时间已经太久,所以它的确切位置已经被犹太人忘记了,成了一个"永远的谜"(同前书,卷3,第158页)。不过,《米什纳书》上还是记载了一件事:有个祭司一次在第二圣殿的庭院里干活,偶然踢到了"一块与众不同的铺地石"。 他去告诉他的同伴,但话没说完,他的生命便离开了他。于是人们知道,那里埋藏着约柜。(Z·维尔奈:《耶路撒冷的传说》,第122页) 《马加比传(下)》(Maccabees)里讲述了埋藏约柜的另外一种情节。希伯来文《圣经》里不包括《马加比传》,但希腊文和拉丁文基督教经典却包括这部书,英语的《圣经后典》也包括它。这部书是一个同情法利赛人的犹太人(他用希腊文写作)汇集的,成书于公元前100年到公元70年之间。《马加比传(下)》第2篇开始几句,对约柜的命运做了如下的交代: 先知耶利米……得到神谕的警告(即预告所罗门圣殿即将被毁),便吩咐帐幕并约柜跟他上了山,摩西曾在那山上俯瞰上帝恩赐之地。他到了山上,找到一个岩洞,便将会幕、约柜及香坛放了进去,然后封住了洞口。 把《耶路撒冷圣经》译成英文(以上即引自该译本)的那些学者们认为,这里所说的耶利米的隐藏约柜之行,只不过是个充满想象的神话,而《马加比传(下)》的作者精心编造这个神话的目的,是为了重新唤起被放逐的犹太人对祖国故乡的眷顾。同样,《牛津基督教大辞典》的编辑们也认为这段文字毫无历史价值。这个传说写于耶利米本人死后大约500年,因此甚至可以说它并不特别古老一一但它的作者却试图把它打扮得极为古老,说他的叙述来自"王室档案"中的一份文件(见《马加比传(下)》,第2篇第2、4段)。 然而,先知耶利米(和《马加比传》的作者不同)却的确生活在所罗门圣殿被毁前后的时期,这是事实。这就意味着,他有可能在隐藏约柜的工作里发挥过某种作用。这是完全可以想见的。不仅如此,"摩西曾在那山上俯瞰上帝恩赐之地"中所说的山名叫"尼波山"(Nebo)(参见《旧约·申命记》第34章第1节),它就位于耶路撒冷正东50公里的地方(尼波山在死海以东现代的约旦境内,俯瞰耶路撒冷和耶利哥城——作者注)。这座深受尊崇的高山由于和摩西这位犹太教的创始人有关,因此在文化上和犹太教相适应,同时,它的地理位置也很像约柜的一个切实隐藏地。 因此,后来几代的犹太人并不完全否定《马加比传》讲的那个故事。相反,这部书虽然从来没有被收入犹太人的《圣经》,却一直被民间传说不断地详加阐述和加工润色。例如:耶利米与圣殿的祭司们一向不合(因为他预言了圣殿将被尼布甲尼撒所毁,并将后者看作上帝净化犹太国人的工具,因此欢迎圣殿被毁——作者注),他究竟是如何拿出内殿里的圣物,穿过约旦河谷,到尼波山上去的呢?这是个症结问题。但是,民间传说却让一位天使帮了耶利米的忙(见卜金斯伯格:《犹太人的传说》卷4,第320页)! 回顾了我看过的关于约柜最后下落的所有传说,我在笔记本上做了以下的小结: 除了《犹太法典》、《米什纳书》、《伪经·已录书》、《马加比传(下)》,以及各种相当多彩的传说之外,犹太传说里没有任何关于约柜下落的切实资料。现在似乎可以肯定一点:示撒、约阿施和尼布甲尼撒都没有掳走约柜,因此,与"约柜在阿克苏姆城"这个说法(这是剩下的惟一说法)相比,犹太人的这些说法就显出了三个不足:(1)这些说法太粗略;(2)它们可能与历史不符;(3)它们的活力都没有延伸到现代生活中(与此对照,埃塞俄比亚的宗教感情始终集中在相信约柜就在该国的信念上)。 这一切都使"约柜在埃塞俄比亚"的说法越发可信了。 尽管如此,我还是不能因为犹太人关于约柜下落的说法有几分不足为信,就轻易否定它们。我现在必须弄清:考古学家们是否曾在尼波山进行过发掘?是否曾在圣殿山进行过发掘?因为,犹太人传说指出的约柜最后安放地,只有尼波山和圣殿山。 1990年10月6日,星期六,我在耶路撒冷自己住的饭店客房里,写下了以上的笔记。两天以后的10月8日,星期一上午,我打算再次去参观圣殿山,并且参观那里的几处发掘现场。 我知道,考古学家正在这个神圣区域外边进行发掘,地点就在埃尔一阿克萨清真寺以南大约100米处。然而,我沿着从大卫塔到当门"的城墙朝圣殿山走的时候,却突然听到了几声枪响和人们的尖叫。这使我预感到发生了十分严重的事情。 圣殿山上的死亡事件 我目击的情况后来被称为"圣殿山屠杀事件"。这个事件虽说标志着耶路撒冷的犹太人和阿拉伯人互相仇视年代的到来,但它的直接起因却是一个极端保守的犹太复国主义组织的一场示威游行,该组织叫"圣殿山忠实信徒"。他们的游行队伍到了莫福拉比大门,巨大的横幅上画着"大卫之星",还写着一条煽动性的希伯来文口号,集中反映了一切有关事件的关键: 圣殿山——我们民族的象征 它在我们敌人手中 示威者们要通过莫福拉比大门,进入圣殿山,去岩石圆殿,在那里为他们打算建造的"第三圣殿"奠基。这个打算显然充满了政治火药味:从公元7世纪动工建造岩石圆殿开始,整个圣殿山地区就成了圣地,对犹太教徒和伊斯兰教徒都意义重大。不仅如此,使"圣殿山忠实信徒"这样的组织尤其感到恼火的是:占据圣殿山地区的是穆斯林教徒,并且,自从公元70年第二圣殿被罗马人摧毁以后,圣殿山区一直没有犹太教徒的圣所。 为了维持这个现状,反击这种来自犹太教徒的真正威胁,大约5000名阿拉伯人已经集合在圣殿山的围墙里,手拿石块,准备把它们砸向正开过来的犹太复国主义分子的游行队伍。 这样一来,10月8日,星期一,"圣殿山忠实信徒"组织开始示威的时候,气氛就已经十分紧张了。使局势更加紧张的是他们准备经过的莫福拉比大门所在的位置。这座大门通向圣殿山的主要建筑群,离埃尔一阿克萨清真寺的前廊不到50米。大门就在"西墙"的南端,而西墙外露的部分,今天被视为最重要的犹太圣地,叫作"哭墙"。 哭墙的年代可以上溯到第二圣殿时期,是公元前1世纪晚期希罗底大帝(Herod)建造的防御墙的一部分。公元70年,罗马人没有把它拆毁(据《犹太解经》说,那是由于"神的保佑"出现在墙的上空)。后来,哭墙成了离散在世界各地的犹太人民族精神的强大象征。即使在以色列建国以后,哭墙还是属于约旦哈希姆王国的管辖区,直到1967年"六日战争"才最后并人以色列版图。 哭墙前清理出了一个广场,专门作为正式的祈祷场所,直到今天,全世界的犹太人都会聚集在那里,悲悼他们没有圣殿这个事实。但是,为了防止和穆斯林教徒发生灾难性对抗,以色列当局禁止了犹太人在圣殿山的一切祈祷活动,因此,圣殿山便完全处于耶路撒冷穆斯林教徒的控制下,而哭墙就在圣殿山底下。 所以,"圣殿山忠实信徒"组织打算通过莫福拉比大门进入圣殿山,这其实是在故意制造事端。以色列警察已经阻止了他们进入圣殿山,但是,示威者离开的时候,聚集在围墙里的5000名阿拉伯人却用雨点般的石块袭击他们。石块不仅砸到了参与示威的狂热者头上,而且砸到了当时正在哭墙边做祈祷的大量犹太人。这样一来,原先一场显然是象征性的示威就迅速演变成了大规模骚乱,其中有11名以色列祈祷者和8名警察受伤,对名阿拉伯人被击毙,125人受重伤。 我赶到出事现场的时候,骚乱的高潮已经过去了。哭墙脚下,一堆堆的石块堆在血泊里,受伤者正被救护车运走,全副武装、身穿防暴服的警察似乎已经控制了局面。保安部队搜查了整个圣殿山,那里已经戒严。该区以南的发掘区也在戒严范围以内,而我正要去那里参观。 数百名犹太人极为愤怒,情绪激动,其中一些人还缠着血迹斑斑的绷带,带着自豪的表情,在四处乱转,寻衅闹事。很快,哭墙前面就开始了一场狂热的庆祝活动一一但我无法理解:面对遭到野蛮杀戮的十几名阿拉伯青年,为什么居然还会有人感到兴高采烈。 我感到厌恶和失望,离开了那个地区,登上几级台阶,来到了老城的犹太人区,又到了连锁大街上。几天以前,我第一次参观圣殿山时曾经走过那条大街。在街上,我又目睹了更不讲理的暴行:拿着枪和警棍的警察包围了一群巴勒斯坦人,因为怀疑他们是暴徒。一个青年用颤抖的声音大声宣布自己是无辜的,却遭到了警察的反复殴打;另一个青年拼命逃进了一条小巷,警察把他堵在墙角里痛打,然后把他拖走。 总之,那是个最令人不快的上午,给我在耶路撒冷余下的日子蒙上了阴影。我的不快不仅由于目前的骚乱事件就发生在曾经放置过约柜的地方,而且因为圣殿山及其南边的发掘区一直被保安部队封锁着,直到我离开耶路撒冷后很久才解除戒严。 然而,尽管出现了这些不祥之兆,我还是决定尽量利用我在那个不幸国度所剩的不多几天。因此,我便尽可能地开始了调查。
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