There is a great set of answers that covers some of my question regarding the interpretation of this passage [over on the Biblical Hermeneutics site](https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/223/36) , but it didn't answer all of my questions. Today I heard an old pastor speak about when he saw one of those gates for himself in Jerusalem. If I understand it right, the gate he saw was even labeled with "The eye of the needle" or something similar (though his interpretation was not the classic, because he was sure of that there was no way a camel could get through the gate he saw). 1. What gate (which obviously exists today) is this pastor speaking about? 2. Is there really any part of the Jerusalem walls left since Jesus time? Weren't all of the walls destroyed after the siege of Jerusalem 70 A.D? ## Update 1 Even since before asking this question, I never doubted that Jesus was speaking about a real "eye of the needle", and not a gate. Even though I marked one answer (which was really clarifying) as accepted, it would be really interesting to nail this myth and go down to the details. According to the New Bible Dictionary, third Edition, p. 562, there is one remaining ancient wall "at the present-day Damascus Gate". What does "ancient" mean in this context? Could it have survived since the days of Jesus? In that case, how big is this part? Are there other ancient walls that could be from the days of Jesus? And are there any "gates" in these ancient walls that have been suggested as the "needle eye gate"?

In writing down her visions of the Creation and Fall of Man and of all Biblical events, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich mentions a Prophet Mountain from where she has seen Paradise, she writes. Is this a mountain in/near Jerusalem? Which mountain is or may be meant? She mentions Mount Olivet later on.

The Book of Mormon speaks of an influential person in Jerusalem named Laban who was the keeper of the record of the Jews, and had power to command at least 50 men (see 1 Nephi 3:31 ). > "Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my > forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass." (1 Nephi 3:1-27 ) We know Laban was a man of some degree of power and influence in Jerusalem, that he had servants, and a treasury, and kept the genealogy of the Jews in his treasury, but it apparently wasn't beneath him to go out and get black-out drunk in the streets (see 1 Nephi 4:7-8 ). Who was Laban? What position did he hold in Jewish society?

What was the size of the crowd outside the Praetorium when Jesus and Barabbas were offered to be released at the Passover feast? Are there any historical accounts as to the size of the crowd?

### According to major Reformed theologians, what is the Christian fulfillment of the [Songs of Ascent](https://www.gotquestions.org/Songs-of-Ascent.html) (Ps 120-134)? I'm particularly interested in **what a Reformed theologian determines to be the Christian referents of these 4 nouns** so that the verbs attached to them are meaningful in the Christian context in this age (today), **the verbs representing what a Christian can physically do**, just like how in the OT the Israelites would sing the Psalms as they physically ascended the mountain to go to the temple. Secondly, the interpretation of these 4 nouns should be distinct (i.e. they cannot all be Jesus, at least they should be different aspects of Jesus). For Catholics, the meaning can naturally be connected to ["going to mass"](https://media.ascensionpress.com/podcast/tjcs11/) to physically meet Jesus (the Eucharist) in the house of God (the cathedral) where the throne of the bishop (seat of authority for the bishop acting *in persona Christi*) is. St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is on the [Vatican Hill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Hill) . The 4 nouns are: 1. the physical city & walls of **Jerusalem**: "built as a city should be", "solidly united", "Feet were standing within" 2. the **physical temple** which is the house of God: "Let's go to" 3. **mount Zion** on which the city rests (or referring to the city): "where God desires it for his home", "those who trust in the LORD are like mount Zion", "the LORD bless you from Zion", "mountains surround Jerusalem" 4. the **thrones of the house of David**: "there thrones for judgment are placed" Sample verses from the CSB translation: - Ps 121:1: "I **lift my eyes toward the mountains**." - Ps 122:1-2: "**Let's go** to the **house of the LORD**." Our feet were standing **within your gates, Jerusalem** - Ps 122:3-4: "Jerusalem, **built as a city should be**, solidly united, where the tribes, the LORD's tribes, **go up to give thanks** to the name of the Lord" - Ps 122:5: "**There, thrones for judgment are placed**, thrones of the house of David." - Ps 122:6-7: "Pray for the **well-being of Jerusalem**: "May those who love you be secure; may there be **peace within your walls**, security within your fortresses." - Ps 125:1-2: "Those who trust in the LORD **are like Mount Zion**. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever. The **mountains surround Jerusalem and the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever**." - Ps 128:5-6: "May **the LORD bless you from Zion**, so that you will see the **prosperity of Jerusalem** all the days of your life ..." - Ps 132:13-18: "For **the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his home**: "This is my resting place forever; I will make my home here because I have desired it. I will abundantly bless its food; I will satisfy its needy with bread. I will clothe its priests with salvation and its faithful people will shout for joy. There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown he wears will be glorious." The answer should have references from Calvin's work, such as from his *Institutes of the Christian religion* or his commentaries on Scripture, **OR** from the work of a major historic Reformed theologian such as Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, etc.

The Ark of the Covenant was presumably located in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when Titus conquered the city and destroyed the Temple. Is there any historical indication of what happened to the Ark of the Covenant and the other items inside the Temple at that time, such as Aaron's budding staff, the two tablets of the testimony (10 Commandments), the Brazen Altar, and the Table of Bread? Were the Jews able to hide these things or were they captured? *(Assuming, of course, that Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark was not a documentary.)*

One site that tourists can visit in Jerusalem is the Tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary . But Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians believe in the Assumption of Mary (that she was taken body and soul into heaven). How does Mary have a tomb if there was no body to bury because she was taken into heaven?

Does anyone have any information regarding how the early Christians prepared or handled the destruction of Jerusalem? Such as how long before hand they fled and what did they take and where did they go and what did they do afterwards? Please site sources if you have them as I am very interested in reading more into this topic. Thank you very much!

Were there any female priests in the temple in Jerusalem at any time?

Jesus said that no prophet can die outside Jerusalem (Luke 13:33 ). *Did* any prophets die outside Jerusalem? If so, which ones?

The Dome of the Rock is right beside Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Israel. Is it considered a sacred place in Christianity? If so, in what way?

In [*Church History in Plain Language*, 144](https://books.google.com/books?id=RbfVAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA144) , Bruce Shelley writes about the "primacy" that certain bishops enjoyed in the early church: > The Council of Nicaea recognized the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome as preeminent in their own areas. Jerusalem was granted an honorary primacy. It seems that Jerusalem's "primacy" was somehow different from that of the other three cities mentioned here. I'd like to know, practically speaking, what was different. Was Jerusalem's bishop "preeminent in [his] own area" in a way similar to the others? Or was it a "primacy in name only," which for practical purposes meant that he was expected to submit to the bishops in nearby Alexandria or Antioch? An answer that complements its analysis with an example or two of how these bishops and churches interacted in the fourth and fifth centuries would be especially interesting.

In 2 Maccabees 5:5, Jason attacks Jerusalem. Why does he do this? There is a false rumor that Antiochus has died, but Antiochus was attacking Egypt. In 2 Maccabees 4, it says he becomes high priest and then loses it, but he does nothing. Is that the reason he attacks Jerusalem?

The History timeline of Jerusalem states that the first monotheism in Jerusalem was Judaism, then Christianity followed. So it's likely that Christianity evolved from Judaism. Did Jesus Christ take some ideas from Judaism to create Christianity? if not, why those 2 religious are so similar? The new would probably learned and upgraded some of the useful things from the old to create its own version. I don't know much more about religions.

I was reading this article where representatives at the 2012 Democratic National Convention booed in disagreement over a platform position regarding Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. I'm **not interested in a political debate** in asking this question; rather I am interested in what is the thought process behind the position that would contest Jerusalem as Israel's capital?