1

Orientation of Dome of the Rock Laid Out From Temple Markings On Rock

By

Robert Kerson 4/24/2015

Although it was possible that the orientation of the octagonal Dome of the Rock building was

aligned with some external direction, it was also possible that the orientation of the building was

fixed from preexisting cuttings on the central rock’s surface. I will examine these cuttings

discovered by Dr. Leen Ritmeyer and show how this was possible. (L. Ritmeyer, The Quest,

2009) These cuttings are also discussed in my big paper on the temple in the discussion

concerning the green square, where the square seen is labeled Figs. 3N, 3Ngreen. Here is Fig. 3N

for convenience. The rectangular depression is labeled 29. The orientation of the building seems

to be slightly off from any degree of orientation to existing features such as walls, or platform

edges. If so, then this could explain the orientation of this building.

This figure assumes that the cuttings on the rock surface predate the building of the Dome of

the Rock.

Here is a diagram of the surface of the rock with Dr. Ritmeyer’s assumption of where the Holy

of Holies and walls were located upon the rock surface taken from his book.

2

1. Hole in rock..

3. Site of Debir (Holy of Holies) marked by western door of octagonal building.

5. Location of western wall of Debir (Holy of Holies).

6. Location of northern wall of Debir (Holy of Holies).

7. Location of stair way within temple.

8. Location of southern wall of Debir (Holy of Holies).

11. Eastern door of octagonal building.

13. Location of wall of temple in line with green square.

14. Northern wall of green square.

15. Same point as 15 in next figure at corner of green square.

16. Western wall of green square.

3

17. Same as point 17 in next figure .on green square.

18. Point on wall of Ulam by a passage..

19. Location of wall by doorway into Heickal.

20. Location of southern wall of green square.

21. Sloping surface of rock at south eastern corner of Heickall.

22 Location of flat area by hole in rock within green square.

27. Sotah location at summit of rock.

29. Depression in center of green square.

Fig. 1 is my diagram traced off of his diagram. Point g is the rectangular depression. Points 1, 2,

3, 4 are corners of his square. In my temple paper, Fig. 6 and Fig. dfdf the green square, is this

square.

Fig. 1

c. The center of the dome

g. A point in the small rectangular depression on the surface of the rock in line with c. There is a change

in the level of the depression here.

1. A corner of the pier by a corner of the square.

2. Another corner of the square.

3. Another corner of the square.

4. Another corner of the square.

5. A corner of another pier.

4

6. A corner of another pier.

7. Point where dotted red line intersects solid red line from points 4 to 5.

8. Intersection of where dotted red line intersects solid red line from points 2 to 4.

9. Intersection of where solid red line from points 1 to 3 intersects solid red line from 2 to 4.

All black lines represent diagram of features under the dome and on the rock surface. All red

lines repreent alignments or cord lines stretched along these alignments.

There are three aiignments taken from three lines on the rock surface:

1. 4 to 10 extended reaches to where point 5 on a corner of a pier is located.

2. points 2 to 8 extended reaches to where point 6 on a corner of a pier is located

3. points 3 to 9 extended reaches to where point 1 on, or very closely to a corner of a pier is

located.

If the center point c was taken to be a preexisting small deprssion cut into the surface of the rock,

a pier opposite the pier at point 1, could be constructed.

Then the dashed red line from these two piers would have had a point intersecting on the solid

red line from 4 to 5. This point is labeled 7. The distance from the center of the dome at c to

point 7 is 8x. The distance from point 7 to point 8 at the southern edge of the deprssion is 5x.

The ratio of the segment of the line from c to 7 and from 7 to 8 is 8:5. This is another example

of finding the 8:5 ratio.

Point g is where the level of the deprssion changes as if a tiny step was carved out of the rock.

Here also two red lines intersect. Note the line from point g to c is here.

Thus, from preexiting cuttings on the surface of the rock, four large piers could then have been

laid out marking the base of the dome. These piers set the orientation of the building, since they

make the start of the double inner and outer octagons. The doorways in the walls were all aligned

by the placement of these four piers.

If these cuttings were rotated or shifted by any amount, the location of these piers would also

be rotated or shifted by the same amount, thereby rotating or shifting the whole octagonal

building.