(The Complete Abridged Edition of
Dr. Martin’s Temple Book Begins
After the Two Reviews Presented Below)
" Two Academic
Reviews of my New Research in the Book "The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot."
The first is from:
Prof. James D. Tabor, Dept. of Religious Studies, The University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223. Given in May, 2000.
"When
I first read of Ernest L. Martin's thesis that both the 1st and 2nd Jewish
Temples, those of Solomon and Herod, were located south of the presently
accepted Dome of the Rock location–down in the area of the ancient City of
David over the Ophel spring, my reaction was short and to the
point–impossible, preposterous!! Having now read his arguments I am
convinced this thesis, however revolutionary and outlandish it first
appears, deserves careful, academic and critical consideration and
evaluation. I am not yet convinced that Martin has ironed out all the
problems or handled all the potential objections, yet he has set forth a
case that should be heard. His arguments regarding the size of the Fortress
Antonia, based on Josephus and other evidence we have about Roman military
encampments, must be addressed. He also makes a most compelling argument
based on Luke, writing a decade or so after the 70 C.E. destruction, and
obviously wanting to report on the lips of Jesus an accurate prediction of
the state of things regarding "not one stone left upon another" in
the post-War city of Jerusalem. Historians of the Byzantine, Islamic, and
Crusader periods are more qualified to judge his arguments from subsequent
epochs, however, my initial reading of Martin's presentation has left me
with the same impression–all of this evidence needs to be reexamined in the
light of this radical proposal. Martin's thesis is so bold, so utterly
non-conventional, and so potentially upsetting, radically altering central
aspects of the theological, historical, cultural, and political
understanding of Jerusalem and its holy places, it should not be ignored. I
hope Martin's book will begin a most interesting debate and critical
discussion of all relevant issues."
The second is from:
Dr. Michael P. Germano, Editor, bibarch.com. Professor Emeritus Ambassador
University, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and
who holds earned doctorates from the University of Southern California and the
University of La Verne. He has completed post-graduate study in anthropology,
archaeology, and theology at Southern Methodist University and Texas A&M
University at College Station in Texas. You can contact him at PO Box 2494
Cullowhee, NC 28723-2494. It is my pleasure to recommend his excellent BibArch
Web Site that explores the world of biblical archaeology. It is fully scholarly
and is at http://www.bibarch.com ]. Given in May, 2000.
"This is an
unexpected, exceptional analysis of the historical and archaeological data of
the Temples of Jerusalem. This new explanation of the venue of the First and
Second Temples provides the solution to heretofore incongruous statements in
Josephus with the evidence of the biblical and archaeological records. Not
only a work of significant scholarly impact it may well serve as the awaited
stimulus for the building of Jerusalem's Third Temple by shifting our
collective focus from the Haram esh-Sharif to the area of the Gihon
Spring."
