Arad temple

Of all the things seen on our latest visit to the central Israeli Museum, I was almost most struck by this reconstruction of the central part of a temple from the 8th century BC (which was subsequently deliberately destroyed when all such worship was centred on the Jerusalem Temple alone).  Might this give an indication of the sort of space in Jerusalem entered by the High Priest alone and on just day of the year?  The blank standing stone at the back has some similarities with the Canaannite standing stones at Tel Gezer pictured here in September, the sorts of stones on which tradition would lead one to expect to find the Ten Commandments in the Ark at the centre of the Jerusalem Temple.  The two pillars at the front are altars for burning incense, and remaining traces of incense where found on them.