The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - Review
"The Quest is a great addition to the study of the Temple mount in Jerusalem. Packed full of information about every corner of the Temple area this is a great book for discovering historical data, reading enjoyment and learning about the Temple. Ritmeyer brings the ability of an archaeological architect who has understanding in history, Judaism, the Bible and the Hebrew language all to bear on observing details preserved in time at the Temple mount....
"Beginning with contemporary evidence the book moves from Herodian structures to pre-Herodian stages and back to a reconstruction of Herod's Temple. The amount of evidence and attention to detail illustrates the author's insight and adds great support to his location of the original temple.... Through the book he fits pieces of evidence together like a puzzle to show the development of the Temple Mount over time. The book is fully illustrated and enjoyable to read.... I recommend this book for any who are interested in the study of the Temple, its location, furnishings and development over time." - Robert Spender, Professor of Old Testament Studies
"Riveting work! Keeps you on the edge of your seat as you are carried into every nook and cranny of the Temple Mount. Full of color charts, maps, sketches, you name it its here. A must for anyone interested in getting the story of the Temple across time, the changes that have taken place and its significance. The author interacts fully with archaeological and biblical research and makes convincing arguments for his conclusions." - Jeremy M. Thomas, Pastor-Teacher, Fredericksburg (TX) Bible Church
"The size of this book, along with its use of glossy paper and publication of nearly four hundred colorful illustrations, could easily lead the unsuspecting reader to assume that it is a "coffee table" popular work. However, this is not the case. While the writing is clear, the reader soon learns that this is a serious detailed study that argues Ritmeyer's thesis that a great deal is known about the Temple Mount and we can reconstruct much of the ancient temples of Solomon and Hezekiah (these are both from the First Temple period), as well as those of the post-exilic and Herodian temples (these are both referred to as the Second Temple).
"Ritmeyer has the best of archaeological credentials for this project. He worked with Benjamin Mazar on the excavation of the area around the southern part of the Temple Mount from 1973 to 1976. He remained fascinated by this subject and devoted years to researching what could be explored of the site, to examining the ancient witnesses to the Temple and its location, to reviewing the British reports on their systematic explorations of the Temple Mount in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and to synthesizing the whole in a painstaking fashion. Carefully written descriptions guide the reader, but this is not all. Just as important are the models, the line drawings, and every type of architecturally designed reconstruction between these two extremes of presentation. Some of these are stunning in their beauty and skill. Altogether, the visual context provides an extremely helpful guide for the written text; to a degree that in many ways remains unique for any archaeological or ancient architectural report I have used....
"In summary, this is an extraordinary work that provides the clearest tour of the Temple and its history available. It should be consulted by biblical scholars and any others whose work touches on the Jerusalem Temple. It will provide every student of the Bible with an invaluable resource for understanding what is certainly the most sacred piece of real estate known to the Jewish and Christian faiths." - Richard S. Hess, Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Denver Seminary
