The Southern Wall is a wall at the southern end of the Temple Mount and the former southern side of the Second Temple (also called Herod’s Temple) in Jerusalem. It was built during King Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel.
When you join Maranatha Tours in Israel, starting with the 8 Day program you will be able to walk the same Southern Steps that Jesus would have walked.
Southern Wall Steps Jerusalem Explore Israel Maranatha Tours – Steps that Jesus of Nazareth and other Jews of his era walked up to approach the Temple. The risers are low, a mere 7 to 10 inches high, and each step is 12 to 35 inches deep, forcing the ascending pilgrims to walk with a stately, deliberate tread. “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.” (Deuteronomy 16:16).
These Southern Steps were used by rabbis and teachers from that period as a platform to spread their doctrines to the passing multitudes along this busy and crowded passageway. With over 50 ritual baths discovered in the vicinity so far, serving the multitudes before entering the Temple courts, this area was no doubt the busiest spot.
Southern Wall was the main entrance for the common man to enter the Temple. He would then go through the two sets of Huldah Gates (named for the prophetess in 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22), both still visible in the wall at the top of the steps today. In the Second Temple Period, the eastern triple-gate was the entrance on your right as you ascended, and the western double-gate was the exit on your left (only part of the western gate can been seen today due to the perpendicular wall built into it later on). These gates led to magnificent tunnels that went under, and then up into the Temple Mount.
On our 10 and 11 day tour you will be able to visit the Shrine of the Book and Model City to see what the Southern Steps and Temple would have looked like during the time of Jesus.