Beersheba: the Well of the Oath and Abraham's Tamarisk
At Beersheba, Abraham seals a covenant with Abimelech over a well, plants a tamarisk and calls on the name of the Everlasting God.
Biblical period: The Patriarchs
Mount Moriah Abraham's Test, from the Biblical Story to the Temple Mount
Where tradition places Abraham's test now stands the Temple Mount, one of the holiest sites in Judaism and Islam.
- Where : Old City of Jerusalem
- Duration : 2 to 3 h
- Access : Mughrabi Gate, limited time slots
Essentials
According to Jewish tradition, Mount Moriah is the hill in Jerusalem where Abraham was called to offer up his son Isaac (Genesis 22) and where Solomon later built the Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). It is identified with the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit), known in Arabic as al-Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, at the heart of the Old City.
This founding story, shared by the three monotheistic faiths, portrays Abraham's obedience and God's faithfulness to his covenant: Mount Moriah has become the symbol of faith tested and confirmed. Crowned today by the Dome of the Rock, the site is at once a major biblical landmark, a key place for archaeology and a highly sensitive sacred space, open to visitors under strict conditions.
In brief
- Why go
- Where tradition places the testing of Abraham (Genesis 22), later the site of the Temple of Jerusalem.
- What you'll see
- The esplanade and the Dome of the Rock (from outside), the Western Wall, the archaeological park to the south.
- Check before you go
- Limited visiting slots for non-Muslims, through the Mughrabi Gate; shoulders and knees covered.
History & Bible
Bible story
Abraham's Test (Genesis 22)
The call: "Take now thy son, thine only son"
"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."
Genesis 22:2
After years of waiting, Abraham has at last received from Sarah the son of the promise, Isaac. Then God asks the unthinkable: to offer that son as a burnt offering. The narrator tells the reader from the very first verse that this is a test (Genesis 22:1) — but Abraham does not know it.
This harrowing demand tests both Abraham's faith and his understanding of God. The text records no objection: the man who had pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18) simply "rose up early in the morning" and set out. That silence has fed centuries of Jewish, Christian and Muslim commentary.
The journey to Moriah
Abraham sets out with Isaac, two servants and the wood for the offering. The journey lasts three days — three days of silent walking towards the ordeal. "On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off" (22:4); he then leaves the servants behind and goes on alone with his son.
Isaac carries the wood, Abraham the fire and the knife. Isaac's question still echoes today: "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham's answer reveals the depth of his faith: "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" (22:7-8).
The altar and the binding
When they reach the appointed place, Abraham builds an altar, lays the wood in order and binds Isaac. Jewish tradition calls this episode the Akedah, the "Binding" of Isaac, after the Hebrew verb used in verse 9. The word stresses the physical act, but also the spiritual bond between Abraham and God. Abraham stretches out his hand and takes the knife: his trust in God outweighs even his love for his son.
Isaac's point of view — his age, his silence, his consent — is explored on a dedicated page: the Binding of Isaac told from the son's side.
Old City of JerusalemThe Binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah: the Silent Faith of the SonOn Mount Moriah, Isaac, the son of the promise, climbs with his father towards the altar: a story of trust, substitution and mercy.View site →
Deliverance: "The LORD will provide"
"Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
Genesis 22:12
At the critical moment, the angel of the LORD stops Abraham's hand. Looking up, Abraham sees a ram caught in a thicket by its horns and offers it in place of his son. The test concerned Abraham's faithfulness; it does not end in a human sacrifice — a point that many readers, ancient and modern, consider central.
Abraham names the place "The LORD will provide" (Hebrew YHWH yireh, "Jehovah-jireh" in the King James Version), hence the saying "In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen" (22:14). God then renews his promise: descendants as numerous "as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" (22:17), in whom "shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (22:18). Abraham then returns to Beersheba, where he was living (22:19).
Tradition and identification
From the "Land of Moriah" to the Temple Mount
What the Bible says
Genesis 22 speaks only of "the land of Moriah" and of "one of the mountains" that God will point out. The name appears just once more in the Bible, to locate Solomon's Temple:
"Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite."
2 Chronicles 3:1
This verse links three moments: Abraham's test, the threshing floor David bought to build an altar (2 Samuel 24:18-25) and the building of the Temple. The traditional identification of Mount Moriah with the Temple Mount rests on this connection.
The religious traditions
- Judaism — the Temple Mount is both the site of the Akedah and the site of the Temple; tradition also places the Foundation Stone there.
- Christianity — most Christian writers follow the Jewish identification; another tradition associated the episode with Golgotha, where a Chapel of Abraham adjoins the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- Islam — the Qur'an recounts Abraham's test without naming the son (Surah 37); most Muslim commentators identify him as Ishmael and place the episode near Mecca. The rock in Jerusalem is venerated above all in connection with the Prophet's Night Journey.
- Samaritans — they place the site of the sacrifice on Mount Gerizim, near Nablus.
🔎 Tradition and history
Identifying Mount Moriah with the Temple Mount is an ancient tradition, already attested in the Hebrew Bible (the Book of Chronicles), but it cannot be verified by archaeology. What can be studied is the history of the holy site itself, over nearly three millennia.
History
The Temple Mount through History
- 10th century BCE — according to the Bible, Solomon builds the First Temple (1 Kings 6).
- 587/586 BCE — the Temple is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army.
- c. 515 BCE — the Second Temple is completed after the return from exile (Ezra 6).
- From 20/19 BCE — Herod the Great rebuilds the Temple and enlarges the platform with huge retaining walls, including the Western Wall. It is on this platform that Jesus teaches during his last week in Jerusalem.
- 70 CE — the Second Temple is destroyed by the legions of Titus.
- 691-692 — the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik builds the Dome of the Rock; the al-Aqsa Mosque follows shortly afterwards, in the early 8th century.
- 1099-1187 — the Crusaders turn the Dome into a church (Templum Domini); Saladin restores the platform to Muslim worship.
- Since 1967 — the site is under Israeli control, while the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, under Jordanian custodianship, manages its religious affairs according to the "status quo".
The Foundation Stone
Beneath the cupola of the Dome of the Rock lies a broad outcrop of limestone, the Foundation Stone (Even HaShetiyah). The Mishnah (Yoma 5:2) mentions a "foundation stone" in the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple; Jewish tradition sees it as the heart of the Temple, even the starting point of Creation, and as the place of the Binding of Isaac. Muslim tradition associates it with the Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad; a small cave hollowed out beneath the rock is known as the "Well of Souls".
The exact location of the Holy of Holies is still debated: most scholars place it on this rock or immediately next to it, but other hypotheses exist.
Archaeology
Archaeology: What We Know and What We Don't
No archaeological excavation is permitted on the platform itself because of its religious and political status. The remains of the First and Second Temples have therefore never been uncovered: our knowledge comes from research carried out all around the enclosure.
- Herodian wallsRetaining walls of drafted-margin masonry, some blocks more than 10 m long, visible at the Western Wall and in its tunnels.
- Southern and Ophel excavationsSince 1968: a Herodian street, monumental stairs leading to the Huldah Gates, ritual baths.
- "Place of trumpeting"A stone with a Hebrew inscription, fallen from the southwest corner, linked to the trumpet call that announced the Sabbath.
- Sifting the debrisSince 2004, a sifting project has examined soil removed from the platform in 1999: finds from every period, including the Iron Age.
At the foot of the Temple Mount, a tiny cuneiform inscription recently shed light on contacts between Judah and Assyria in the First Temple period: see our article on the Akkadian seal found in Jerusalem.
📜 Key point
Archaeology sheds light on the history of the Temple and of Jerusalem; it can neither confirm nor refute the story of Abraham, which belongs to religious memory. The continuous veneration of the site, however, is well documented over almost three thousand years.
Plan my visit
Mount Moriah: planning your visit
- Visit duration
- 2 to 3 hours if you combine the platform, the Western Wall and the archaeological park south of the Temple Mount.
- Opening hours
- Limited, changing time slots for non-Muslim visitors depending on the day and on holidays: check the day before and on the day itself.
- Access
- Mughrabi Gate only for non-Muslims, with a security check. The Western Wall plaza can be reached on foot, notably through the Dung Gate.
- Dress and items
- Shoulders and knees covered. Non-Muslim religious items may be refused at the security check; no public religious display on the platform.
- Accessibility
- The access walkway is a gentle ramp; the platform is large, paved and uneven in places. Partial accessibility.
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; mornings are best, especially in summer (little shade). Access may be restricted during major religious holidays.
Getting there & GPS
Mount Moriah
Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif), Old City of Jerusalem — visitor entrance through the Mughrabi Gate, from the Western Wall plaza
GPS coordinates : 31.7780, 35.2354 (reference point, not the exact entrance)
Start navigation with:
A Shared Holy Site: Visiting with Respect
The holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, the platform is a Muslim place of prayer administered by the Waqf. Non-Muslim visitors are admitted during limited time slots, through a single entrance, under the supervision of the Israeli police.
Visiting tips
- Non-Muslims enter through the Mughrabi Gate (Bab al-Maghariba), at the top of the covered walkway that rises from the Western Wall plaza; expect a security check and a queue.
- Non-Muslims may not enter the Dome of the Rock or the al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered; you may be asked to wear a wrap.
- Non-Muslim religious items and acts of prayer are restricted under the status quo and may be refused at the security check.
- For reasons of ritual purity, many rabbinic authorities advise Jews not to ascend the platform; a sign from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel says so at the entrance.
- For an overall view without time constraints, head up the Mount of Olives: the panorama over the platform and the Dome is breathtaking.
⚠️ Changing hours
Visiting times vary with the day of the week, Jewish and Muslim holidays and the security situation; access may be closed without notice. Check the latest information the day before and on the day itself.
Suggested itineraries
- Genesis 22: from Beersheba to Moriah
- Beersheba → Hebron → Jerusalem (Mount Moriah)
- Around the Temple Mount
- Mount of Olives (viewpoint) → Western Wall → Temple Mount platform → Jerusalem Archaeological Park
Around the site
Mount Moriah and its surroundings
Same site, another story
Same stop in your tour: the page below tells the same site from another angle.
Old City of JerusalemThe Binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah: the Silent Faith of the SonOn Mount Moriah, Isaac, the son of the promise, climbs with his father towards the altar: a story of trust, substitution and mercy.View site → Close by (under 3 km)
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Western Wall
The Temple retaining wall
Page coming soon -
Mount of Olives
From David's flight to the agony of Jesus, the hill facing the Temple Mount holds three thousand years of Jewish and Christian memory.
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City of David
The kings' Jerusalem and Hezekiah's Tunnel
Page coming soon -
Holy Sepulchre
The rock of Calvary and the tomb venerated since the 4th century, under one roof shared by six Christian communities: Gospel account, history, archaeology and visiting.
Go further
Tomb of the Patriarchs – Hebron
A sacred site venerated by the three monotheistic religions, the traditional burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Bethel – Abraham's Altar Between Bethel and Ai
After Shechem, Abraham builds an altar "between Bethel and Ai" and calls on the name of the LORD, then returns there after his stay in Egypt (Genesis 12:8; 13:1-4).
OriginsThe Flood Around the World: Ancient Stories and Archaeological WitnessesIndia, China, Greece, the Americas, Mesopotamia: flood stories around the world and three ancient tablets that record them, set beside the story of Noah.Read the article → 
OriginsWhere Was the Garden of Eden? The Four Rivers, Mesopotamia and HebronTigris, Euphrates, the Persian Gulf or Hebron? What Genesis says about the Garden of Eden, what scholars suggest, and the traditions that link it to Israel.Read the article → Frequently asked questions
Where is Mount Moriah?
Tradition identifies it with the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, where the Dome of the Rock stands today. The identification rests on 2 Chronicles 3:1; Genesis 22 speaks only of "the land of Moriah". The Samaritans place the site of the sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.
Why did God test Abraham?
The text simply says that God tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1). Tradition sees it as revealing the depth of his faith and obedience; the outcome also shows that God does not want the child's death, but faithfulness.
What does the sacrifice of Isaac represent?
The supreme test of Abraham's faith and the symbol of trusting obedience to God. The ram offered in Isaac's place is often read as a rejection of human sacrifice and a sign of divine mercy.
What is the connection with the Temple in Jerusalem?
According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, Solomon built the Temple "in mount Moriah". Jewish tradition therefore identifies Mount Moriah with the site of the First and then the Second Temple, destroyed in 70 CE.
What is the Foundation Stone?
It is the rock that rises beneath the cupola of the Dome of the Rock (Even HaShetiyah). Jewish tradition sees it as the site of the Holy of Holies and of the Binding of Isaac; Muslim tradition links it to the Prophet's Night Journey.
Can you visit the Temple Mount?
Yes. Non-Muslims can reach the platform through the Mughrabi Gate during limited, changing time slots, after a security check. Modest dress is required, and hours should be checked the day before and on the day itself.
Can you go inside the Dome of the Rock?
No: entry to the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque is reserved for Muslim worshippers. Visitors can admire the buildings from the outside, on the platform.
Why are there no excavations on the Temple Mount?
Because of the site's sanctity and political sensitivity, no excavation is permitted there. Research focuses on the area around the enclosure (Western Wall, Ophel) and on sifting debris removed from the platform.
What else is there to see around Mount Moriah?
The Western Wall and its tunnels, the Jerusalem Archaeological Park south of the enclosure, the City of David and the view from the Mount of Olives. To follow the story further, Beersheba and Hebron recall the lives of Abraham and Isaac.