Well of Souls
Encyclopedia
This article describes the cave in Jerusalem. For the series of novels by Jack Chalker see Well World
.
The Well of Souls is a natural cave
located immediately beneath the Foundation Stone, under the Dome of the Rock
on the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem. In addition to a small well-shaped hole in the stone that looks into the cave, there is an entrance on the southern side by stairs which pass through a gap between the Stone and the surrounding bedrock. The cave takes the form of a moderately sized room (similar in floor space to the stone), the ceiling curving to the ground gently, the floor having been flattened and carpeted. The southern end of the cave, through which the stairs enter, has manmade walls to provide structural support to the roof of the cave above the stairs.
Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra
attested to the existence of a cave found under the Dome of the Rock
and known as the "Well of Souls".
, though its location was changed from Jerusalem to Tanis, Egypt
. The "Mountain of Malefor", the final level in the video game The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
, is also known as the Well of Souls, despite not having anything to do with the real Well of Souls. In the video game Darksiders, the Destroyer draws his power from the well of souls which Azrael
unwittingly helped him do.
Well World
The Well World is a fictional planet in Jack L. Chalker's "Well of Souls" and "Watchers at the Well" series of novels.The Well World was constructed by an ancient alien species known as the Markovians who predated the existence of the current Universe...
.
The Well of Souls is a natural cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located immediately beneath the Foundation Stone, under the Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik...
on the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
in Jerusalem. In addition to a small well-shaped hole in the stone that looks into the cave, there is an entrance on the southern side by stairs which pass through a gap between the Stone and the surrounding bedrock. The cave takes the form of a moderately sized room (similar in floor space to the stone), the ceiling curving to the ground gently, the floor having been flattened and carpeted. The southern end of the cave, through which the stairs enter, has manmade walls to provide structural support to the roof of the cave above the stairs.
Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra
David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra
Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Zimra , also called Radbaz after the initials of his name, Rabbi David iBn Zimra, was an early Acharon of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who was a leading posek, rosh yeshiva, chief rabbi, and author of more than 3,000 responsa as well as several scholarly...
attested to the existence of a cave found under the Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik...
and known as the "Well of Souls".
Popular culture
In popular fiction, the Well's legends appeared in Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
, though its location was changed from Jerusalem to Tanis, Egypt
Tanis, Egypt
Tanis , the Greek name of ancient Djanet , is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt. It is located on the Tanitic branch of the Nile which has long since silted up.-History:...
. The "Mountain of Malefor", the final level in the video game The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is a video game in the Spyro the Dragon series. It is the second game in "The Legend of Spyro" trilogy, released for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Wii...
, is also known as the Well of Souls, despite not having anything to do with the real Well of Souls. In the video game Darksiders, the Destroyer draws his power from the well of souls which Azrael
Azrael
Azrael is the name of the Archangel of Death in some extrabiblical traditions. He is also the angel of death in Islamic theology and Sikhism. It is an English form of the Arabic name ʿIzrāʾīl or Azra'eil , the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in some sects of Islam and Sikhism,...
unwittingly helped him do.