Mount Moriah before the Construction of the First Temple

In biblical tradition, the mountain in the land of Moriah where Abraham bound Isaac is identified with Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, where the Temple would one day be built. The story of the binding of Isaac is among the foundational stories of the Israelite faith and of the three monotheistic religions, and therefore it has found myriad expressions in Jewish and world art.

Synagogue, dating from the period of the Mishnah and the Talmud (the Byzantine period), depicting the binding of Isaac. The names of the characters are written above them, and the angel is represented by a hand emerging from heaven next to which are the words: “Lay not.”