Huldah Gates, Jerusalem

The remains of two ancient gates on the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are known by archaeologists as the "Double Gate" and the "Triple Gate". Historically, these gates were referred to as the "Huldah Gates", named after the 7th-century BC prophet Huldah, one of only seven women prophets mentioned in the Old Testament, believed to have been buried in the City of David neighborhood (south of the Temple Mount).

With its three triple arches, the Western Huldah Gate served as the entrance for Jewish pilgrims entering the Temple Mount, while the double-arched Eastern Huldah Gate served as the exit for pilgrims leaving the temple complex. These gates provided direct access to the Temple Mount, guiding pilgrims through underground tunnels into the outer courtyard of the Jewish temple.

Visitors to Jerusalem today can still observe and walk on the remains of the monumental staircases attached to the Huldah Gates. Rising from the valley below, they symbolized an "ascent" to the divine realm, or a transition from the profane to the sacred. During significant Jewish festivals like Passover, it's estimated that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims would have ascended and descended these staircases, passing through the Huldah Gates on their way to and from the temple.