The Western
Wall that we know today is not merely the area that people
use for prayer or for official ceremonies. It actually includes the entire western retaining
wall of the Temple
Mount, including what is known today as Robinson's Arch. Located on the southern
end of the Wall, Robinson's Arch was originally thought to be a series
of bridges leading from the Upper City to the Temple Mount. Many tour
books still reflect this misperception.
The
original thinking of Robinson's Arch was that when Herod enlarged the area of the Temple Mount during the 1st century BCE,
the wall was higher in the southern part and a valley was created. This
valley separated the Western Wall from the Upper City, making difficult
direct access to the Temple Mount. A series of bridges and arches over
the valley to the Temple Mount was created to solve this problem. One
of these arches, located close to the southern end of the Western Wall,
is known as Robinson's Arch. The arch was discovered in 1838 and named
after its discoverer, American researcher Edward Robinson.
In fact, however, that theory was disproven during
the archaeological excavations of 1968-1977. Evidence showed that the
arch had spanned over paved streets at multiple angles. A row of small
vaults was also discovered. This row of vaults, together with Robinson's
arch, supported a flight of steps leading from the street to the Temple
Mount. Geographically, the arch is on the southern end of the Western
retaining wall to the Temple Mount.
In the past few years, the Israeli government has used Robinson's arch
as a place for groups to pray that do not meet the approval of the Ministry
of Religious Affairs as the arch area is not under the control of the
Religious Affairs Ministry. Since 2000, egalitarian prayer has taken
place at the site under the auspices of the Conservative/Masorti movement. The Reform movement
was also offered Robinson's Arch as a prayer site but they refused.
The woman's prayer group "Women
of the Wall" was offered Robinson's Arch in May 2000 as an
alternative to the Kotel for their Orthodox women's prayer group but
they were then allowed to continue their traditional prayer at the Western
Wall as the court ruled that Robinson's Arch would not be suitable for
their prayer. However, in April 2003, the Supreme
Court refused to allow Women of the Wall to continue their Orthodox
prayer group and instead required the government to prepare an area
at Robinson's arch within 12 months. Women of the Wall members do not
feel that the Robinson's Arch-area is a suitable prayer area. Their
attorney, Frances Reday, notes, "There are a lot of stones next
to the wall in that area, which would need to be removed to allow for
access." In the early twenty-first century, Israel opened up an
archaelogical park in the area around Robinson's Arch.
