The Dome of the Rock shines bright gold against the Jerusalem sky. Inside, tall pillars and bright tiles make visitors catch their breath. But on this visit, something is different. Workmen bend down in the prayer area. They aren’t praying. They are replacing the carpet.

“Big deal,” you might be thinking. “It’s just carpet!” But to many people in Israel, changing the carpet in a holy site like this one is a huge decision. Even bringing a screwdriver into the Dome of the Rock can make religious people want to fight!

Muslims believe in a prophet named Muhammad. According to their belief, he was standing on a rock slab one day when he ascended into heaven. Muslims built the beautiful dome around that rock. The Dome is a holy site for Muslims. Only Muslims are allowed inside. And if Muslims want to replace the carpet, they can. Right?

Some Israelis say no. The Dome of the Rock stands where the Jewish temple once did. Jews want to worship God there again. They believe that God has not yet sent their savior. When he does, they believe, the Jewish temple will be rebuilt in the same place.

Geometric patterns lie underneath the new carpet. No archaeologist has ever studied these patterns. Jewish people wonder: What do the patterns mean? What other parts of the Dome of the Rock have they never seen? Some even have dreams of finding the Ark of the Covenant buried underneath it. The Ark held the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. Some Israelis worry that the new carpet will cover up—or damage—pieces of their history.

We do not have to travel to Israel to meet with God. God already sent a savior—Jesus. He doesn’t live in a temple. He lives in us!

“The God who made the world and everything in it does not live in temples made by man.” —Acts 17:24