New Study Places the Temple on Southern Temple Mount

A newly reported study argues that the Temple stood in the southern part of Jerusalem's Temple Mount, away from the location commonly associated with the Dome of the Rock. The southern-location thesis cites discrepancies between the compound's present dimensions and descriptions in the Mishnah and Josephus, along with architectural and topographical clues. Other researchers place the sanctuary over the Dome of the Rock or northwest of it, so the precise location remains disputed. Direct excavation on the mount remains unavailable, leaving scholars to compare ancient texts, surviving walls, underground features and later architectural evidence.