The Temple Mount Sifting Project recently announced the discovery of a capital from one of the columns that formed the eastern colonnade of the Second Temple, known in the New Testament as "Solomon's Colonnade." Josephus also describes the colonnade in both Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War. The capital itself is in the Doric style and would have adorned the top of one of the columns that surrounded the Temple Mount area to provide shade for those who visited the Temple. Dr. Leen Ritmeyer, one of the world's leading experts on the Temple, has responded to the announcement by agreeing that the capital is likely from Solomon's Colonnade while correcting information about the size of the column the capital likely came from. The Bible records that Jesus (Jn 10:23), Peter and John (Acts 3:11), and the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 5:12) all spent time at Solomon's Colonnade.
Off-site Links:
- http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=41549
- http://www.ritmeyer.com/2017/04/05/a-capital-from-solomons-porch-on-the-temple-mount/