Leen Ritmeyer (b. 1945) is a Dutch-born archaeological

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who currently lives and works in Wales, after having spent 22 years (1967–89) in Jerusalem.

Career

Ritmeyer holds an M.A. in Conservation Studies from the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, University of York, England, and a Ph.D. from the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...

, England. Beginning in 1973, Ritmeyer served for 4 years as official architect of the archaeological dig at the

Western Wall The Western Wall ( he, הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the western wall, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط � ...

and

Southern Wall The Southern Wall ( ''HaKotel HaDromi'') is the retaining wall of the Temple Mount at the southern end. It was built during King Herod's expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel. Construction The Southern Wall is in le ...

of the

Temple Mount The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compou ...

directed by Benjamin Mazar,"How We Lost the Temple Mount,"

Hershel Shanks Hershel Shanks (March 8, 1930 – February 5, 2021) was an American lawyer and amateur biblical archaeologist. He was the founder and long-time editor of the ''Biblical Archaeology Review''. Life and career Shanks was born in Sharon, Pennsylvani ...

Moment (magazine) ''Moment'' is an independent magazine which focuses on the life of the American Jewish community. It is not tied to any particular Jewish movement or ideology. The publication features investigative stories and cultural criticism, highlighting th ...

, June 2002. and 10 years in the Jewish Quarter Excavations of the Old City of Jerusalem, directed by Nahman Avigad. In

Gershom Gorenberg Gershom Gorenberg ( he, גרשום גורנברג) is an American-born Israeli journalist, and blogger,en archeologists speak today of solid scientific research on the Temple's location, they’re most likely to refer to Leen Ritmeyer", referring to his work on the

in Jerusalem. He presented solid arguments based on archaeological evidence collected over at least a century of research for the location of

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...

, the emplacement of the Ark of the Covenant on the

Foundation Stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

, and the location of the platform as extended in the

First Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...

period, probably during the time of

Hezekiah Hezekiah (; hbo, , Ḥīzqīyyahū), or Ezekias); grc, Ἐζεκίας 'Ezekías; la, Ezechias; also transliterated as or ; meaning "Yahweh, Yah shall strengthen" (born , sole ruler ), was the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Kingdom of Jud ...

described as a square of 500

cubit The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding ...

s in ''

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

Middot An interpunct , also known as an interpoint, middle dot, middot and centered dot or centred dot, is a punctuation mark consisting of a vertically centered dot used for interword separation in ancient Latin script. (Word-separating spaces did n ...

'' 2.1. He has demonstrated that one of the steps leading to the Dome of the Rock is actually the top of a remaining stone course of the pre-

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

of the Temple Mount platform. Ritmeyer is known for his architectural models of the buildings of ancient Jerusalem. His models of the historical Jewish Temples have been exhibited at museums including the

Yeshiva University Museum The Yeshiva University Museum is a teaching museum and the cultural arm of Yeshiva University. Along with the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, New York and the YIVO Institute for Jewish ...

in New York and the Siegfried H. Horn Museum at

Andrews University Andrews University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists and is the flagship universi ...

, Michigan.

Works

Ritmeyer has published several books, some together with his wife, Kathleen, including: * ''Understanding the Holy Temple Jesus Knew'' (2017) * ''Understanding the Holy Temple of the Old Testament'' (2016) * ''Jerusalem the Temple Mount'' (2015) * ''The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem'' Eric H. Cline, ''The Quest'' (book review),

Biblical Archaeology Review ''Biblical Archaeology Review'' is a magazine appearing every three months and sometimes referred to as ''BAR'' that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible, the ...

, "Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem," 12 January 2012. (2006) * ''Secrets of Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Updated and Enlarged Edition'' (2006) * ''Jerusalem in the Time of Nehemiah'' (2005/2014) * ''Jerusalem in the Year 30 AD'' (2004/2014) * ''Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus'' (2004) * ''The Ritual of the Temple in the Time of Christ'' (2002/2015) * ''Secrets of Jerusalem's Temple Mount'' (1998) * ''From Sinai to Jerusalem: The Wanderings of the Holy Ark''"Getting serious about the Ark of the Covenant," Gabriel A. Sivan (book review), Jerusalem Post, 21 July 2000. (2000) * ''The Temple and the Rock'' (1996)

References

External links

Ritmeyer Archaeological Design
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritmeyer, Leen Alumni of the University of York Alumni of the University of Manchester Israeli archaeologists Christadelphians Living people Biblical archaeology 1945 births

Career

Works

See also

References

External links