sA
contemporary of the Dome of the Rock, the Dome of the Chain received its name
from local legend: in the time of Solomon's Temple, a chain hung from heaven here. Anyone who had to
bear witness would grasp it, and if he lied, a link would break off. The
spatial relation between this dome and that of the Rock is tantalizingly like
the relation between the altar of sacrifice and the Temple building, containing the Holy of Holies.