the Temple
The permanent center of religious worship of the people of Israel until the first century CE. The Temple was located in Jerusalem and served as a center for the offering of sacrifices, pilgrimage, and prayer.
("A Song of Ascents, of David. I rejoiced when they said to me: ‘Let us go to the House of the Lord.’ Our feet were standing within your gates, Jerusalem" – Psalms 122:1, and also: "When the former prophets died, the Urim and Thummim ceased. When the Temple was destroyed, the shamir ceased, the honey of combs ceased, and men of faith disappeared" – Sotah 9:12)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
Definition (Hebrew)
מֶרְכַּז הַפּוּלְחָן הַדָּתִי הַקָּבוּעַ שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד לַמֵּאָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לִסְפִירָה. בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שָׁכַן בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְשִׁמֵּשׁ כְּמֶרְכָּז לְהַקְרָבַת קָרְבָּנוֹת, עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל וּתְפִלָּה.
("שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד. שָׂמַחְתִּי בְּאֹמְרִים לִי בֵּית ה' נֵלֵךְ. עֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם" – תְּהִלִּים קכ״ב א, וְכֵן: "מִשֶּׁמֵּתוּ נְבִיאִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בָּטְלוּ אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים. מִשֶּׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בָּטַל הַשָּׁמִיר וְנוֹפֶת צוּפִים וּפָסְקוּ אַנְשֵׁי אֲמָנָה" – סוֹטָה ט׳ י״ב)