The Foundation Stone (Hebrew: Even ha-Shetiyya) is a bedrock protrusion at the

center of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is considered the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam due to several foundational religious traditions: 

Religious Significance

• Judaism:
  • Creation of the World: Jewish tradition identifies this rock as the starting point from which God created the entire world.
  • Holy of Holies: It is believed to be the site of the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum of both the First and Second Temples.
  • Ark of the Covenant: Some sources state the Ark of the Covenant was placed directly upon this stone.
  • Sacrifice of Isaac: It is traditionally identified as Mount Moriah, the location where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
• Islam:
  • The Night Journey: Known as the “Noble Rock” (al-Sakhra), it is believed to be the spot from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven during his Night Journey (Mi’raj).
  • Sacrifice of Ishmael: While Jews identify the site with Isaac, Islamic tradition typically associates it with the attempted sacrifice of Abraham’s older son, Ishmael.
  • First Qibla: Early Muslims originally faced this site (Jerusalem) for prayer before the direction (qibla) was changed to Mecca.
• Christianity:
  • Temple Association: Christians revere the site for its connection to events in the Hebrew Bible and the life of Jesus, who taught at the Temple that once stood there. 

Physical Features

• Well of Souls: Beneath the stone lies a cavern known as the Well of Souls, which some traditions believe holds the spirits of the dead awaiting judgment.
• Artificial Alterations: The rock bears several cuts and marks, some attributed to Crusaders who used the site as a church and others believed to be the footprint of Muhammad or Gabriel’s fingerprints.’