Herod the Great Rebuilds the Temple

Starting around 19 BCE, Herod the Great began a decades-long expansion of the Second Temple that doubled the size of the Temple Mount, added enormous retaining walls (the Western Wall still stands), and covered the structure in gold and white stone. The disciples marveled at it in Mark 13. Herod undertook the project partly to legitimize himself — as an Idumean, many Jews questioned whether he was truly one of them. The result was a masterpiece of ancient architecture built by a deeply troubled man.