The Land of Israel

Does anyone still sacrifice animals today? The Samaritans (only a few hundred of them are left, nearly all in Nablus (Shechem)) still sacrifice a lamb on Mt.Gerizim every Passover.

In the Temple, did they blow the shofar or a trumpet? Both trumpets (chatzotzros) and horns (shofaros) were used in the Temple. On Rosh Ha-Shanah the shofar was central, but it was accompanied by trumpets; on other occasions, such as…

How was the Passover sacrifice offered and eaten in the time of theTemple? The Passover lambs were slaughtered in the Temple. The slaughtering could be done by anyone, but a priest had to sprinkle the blood on the altar. Each…

What things were in the First Temple but not in the Second temple? The Talmud (Yoma 21b) lists five things that were lacking in the Second Temple: the fire that came down from heaven, the Ark, the Urim ve-Tumim, the…

Why was it forbidden to remove the poles on which the Ark was carried (Ex. 25:15), but not the poles on which the other Temple utensils were carried? The Sefer Ha-Chinuch suggests that the Ark poles were especially important because…

Was the altar built before the Temple? Was it on the site of Abraham’s altar? The First Temple was built on Mount Moriah (2 Chron.3:1), but Abraham’s altar isn’t mentioned; rather, the spot where the Temple was built was the…

What were the Urim ve-Tumim? According to most commentators, the Urim ve-Tumim were the stones in the Kohen Gadol’s breastplate (and possibly ephod; see Ex.Ch.28). These stones were engraved with the names of the tribes, and they conveyed messages by…

Is a Kohen who sins allowed to serve in the Temple? If a Kohen becomes an apostate, his service is invalid; see Ezekiel 44:12-13. A Kohen who is a chronic sinner should not be allowed to serve (Aruch Ha-Shulchan He-Asid,…

In 2 Sam. 24:24 it says that David paid 50 shekels of silver for the Temple Mount, but in 1 Chron. 21:25 it says that he paid 600 shekels of gold. Which is correct? According to the Talmud (Zevachim 116b),…