View source for The Temple of Shallum (Solomon) and the Messianic Age


Khalif 'Umar entrusted Shallum's son, Heman, to erect a wooden mosque on the southern side of the Temple Mount to replace the temporary structure built by the Jews.  It is to this structure that Arculphus, about 680CE, appears to allude in describing a rude square house of prayer on the site of the Temple, raised with planks and beams on old foundations, and large enough to hold 3,000 men.  This structure was for Jews, Jewish converts to Islam, and Muslims to pray together facing Mecca.<ref>Mujir al-Din</ref>  This mosque was restricted such that other than Jews and Muslims were not allowed.  It was refered to as "their private place of prayer."<ref>Ibid.</ref>  Shallum had remained in Persia, but in honor of his valiant conquests, the mosque was named in honor of him.  When the wooden mosque was subsequently' removed and rebuilt as a more permanent structure, the name remained.  Centuries later when the crusaders came, they mistoook the ''Masjid as-Salman'', Mosque of Salmaan for the Temple of Solomon.  Today this building is called ''Masjid al-Aqsa'', Al-Aqsa mosque.

Khalif 'Umar encouraged all Jews from Arabia to move to Israel, Babylon or Egypt, although later historians would say that 'Umar expelled them.<ref>Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, "The Jewish-Moslem Dialogue and the Question of Jerusalem", Institute of the World Jewish Congress, Jerusalem 1997</ref>

As a scholar, Shallum was noted for his vast Rabbinite knowledge and wisdom. Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. The Prophet pointed at Ali and Salman Farsi and said:- Ali and his lovers and followers like Salman and his Persian followers: If knowledge clings to the ceiling of heavens, some of the Persians will pull it down.''<ref>Tafsir</ref>

Shallum had knowledge of both the Quran and his earlier Rabbinic training. Shallum in fact translated parts of the Quran into Persian during the life-time of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language.  He had two sons, Heman and Yaakov, who we identify in Islamic literature as 'Abdallah ibn Saba and Ka'b al-Ahbar.  The former was trained to become the next Exliarch, and the later was sent to Pumpedita to be trained in Rabbinic studies.  Ka'b al-Ahbar, would later say of his father: "Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom--an ocean that does not dry up."<ref>Tabari</ref>

As mentioned above, Shallum had created a integrated system of belief between Judaism and Islam.  The belief systems did not merge, but Sadducean and Rabbinite custom existed side by side.  Shallum was treated with great respect by Khalif 'Umar.  The Khalif commanded concerning him and his descendants; and he ordered that every one, whether Muslim or Jew, or belonging to any other nation in his dominion, should rise up before him (the Exilarch) and salute him, and that any one who should refuse to rise up should receive one hundred stripes. 

In addition to building the common mosque, Heman also pursued a strictly Rabbinite agenda, he invited seventy Rabbinic families from Tiberias to form the new Sanhedrin.  Omar agreed that seventy households should come to Jerusalem from Tiberias. After that, he asked: "Where do you wish to live within the city?" They replied: "In the southern section of the city, which is the market of the Jews." Their request was to enable them to be near the site of the Temple and its gates, as well as to the waters of Shiloach, which could be used for immersion. This was granted them by the Emir of the Believers. So seventy households including women and children moved from Tiberias, and established settlements in buildings whose foundations had stood for many generations.<ref>Geniza library of Egypt, University in England.</ref>  These buildings to the south of the Temple Palace were eventually replaced by an Umayyad Palace built by Khalif al-Walid in 715 CE. The immersion pools they built were still visible in during the visit of Benjamin of Tudela.<ref> The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, section "Jerusalem", p 23, "There is also visible up to this day the pool used by the priests before offering their sacrifices"</ref> 

Archeological evidence suggests that this corner, near Robinson's Arch, was the original location of the archives of Jerusalem as mentioned by Josephus.<ref> Temple Mount Excavations, B. Mazar</ref>  It seems that Heman also ordered that genealogical records be assembled in preparation for a new high priesthood.  The records they started to collect were remembered in later years by Jews inscribing their names on the wall.<ref>The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, section "Jerusalem", p 23, " the Jews coming thither write their names upon the wall.</ref>  The Jews remembered the slaughtered Jewish troops, whose bodies were left to rot by Heraclius.  To this period belongs an inscription on the western wall, "You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; their bones like the grass", the text is from Isaiah 66:14, but the words "your bones" has been changed to "their bones".<ref>Temple Mount Excavations, B. Mazar</ref>

Mujir al-Din relates that "And among the servants of the sanctuary, too, was another company of Jews, who made the glass plates for the lamps and the glass lantern-bowls and glass vessels and rods. No poll-tax was demanded of them, nor from those that made wicks for the lamps."

For the Muslims, Jewish converts to Islam, and even some Rabbinite Jews, they were now living in the Messianic Age. The ''Masjid al Aqsa'', Al-Aqsa Mosque was the reconstructed Third Temple.  Heraclius was Armilos, the anti-Christ, and he had been vanquished.  A nation of the faithful which included Jews, and those who kept the seven laws, the Muslims, were now creating a new order. There were problems between the various followers, but it was assumed that they would soon be worked out.  To the Christians converts to Islam, the Jews were a throw back to a previous age.  The Jews were resisting the message of Islam, and were inviting revolt and rebellion.  To the Khalif, the commander of the faithful, the Jewish converts to Islam were a little of both.

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[[Category:Islam and Judaism]]
[[Category:The Persian and Islamic conquests of Jerusalem]]