Temple

The Dung Gate was, and is even today, the primary entrance into the Temple Mount comples. In Nehemiah’s day, the Israelites would have entered here to worship God. In the following chapter, they stood in the Temple precincts to hear the holy teachings of God read aloud.  Part of the walk down toward the Dung Gate from Mount Zion. In the foreground is the Mount of Olives and the traditional spot where Jesus ascended into Heaven. Photo by John Buckner

The Dung Gate 

July 29, 2026
“And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall. Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and...
Mattaniah was a descendant of Asaph (1 Chronicles 9:15) and one of the many Levites who labored in the Temple worship during Nehemiah's day. National thanksgiving was deeply personal for Mattaniah.

A Thanksgiving Message from Mattaniah

November 27, 2025
I have been reading again through the Old Testament historical record of Nehemiah. It is full of names and genealogies, and I am learning to pay attention to the lesser-known...
EZRA, Journey Through Ezra, journeying through Ezra, Overview of Ezra, Ezra in the Bible,

Journey Through Ezra

January 7, 2025
We are journeying through the little book of Ezra. And what an amazing book it is. Ezra is a very short book, a brief book, and it picks up exactly...