Are These the Beams of the Temple? Is this the Gift from King Hiram of Sidon to King Solomon?
Shalom Dennis, As far as I know those beams are from the Al Aksa mosque built in the 7th century. They can still be seen in the museum of the Waqf on the temple mount next to the al aksa mosque. I haven't been there for a long time, but it's a good idea to go there again. Unfortuately the museum is used to illustrate Israeli persecution of Arabs, showing blood stained clothes etc, but it's still worth a visit. Several impressive beams like those in the pictures can also be seen in the Rockefeller Museum.
I think that Moslems are very happy to say that the beams are from Solomon's temple because it's a kind of verification of the account of the destruction of the temple in the Koran.
Moslems don't advertise discoveries of remains of Herod's temple, like the arches under the Al Aksa Mosque shown in one of the pictures you sent me, because Herod's temple is not mentioned in the Koran, so it's really a sort of blasphemy to say that Herod's temple existed.
In Jewish and Moslem belief God destroyed Solomon's Temple as a punishment to the Jews for going astray from the right path of God.
The building of the second temple, first by Nehemia and later enlarged by Herod the Great is a comfort to the Jews, that God had mercy on them and they are still God's chosen nation.
According to Islam it is absured to speak of God reversing His punishment of the Jews. The only way Jews can return to God is by accepting that Islam is the chosen nation and Mohammed is the ultimate prophet of God. In other words Islam thinks Jews should become Moslems because as long as they remain Jews God's punishment rests on them.
I am placing this answer on my website jerusalemwalks.com, together with your question. You can find it in the Newsletter section under Comments Replies.
Wishing you a good day
Yours truly
Leon Gork