Wailing Wall of the Jews
Preserved but no longer current.
An enclosure in Jerusalem containing a wall said to be built of stones from Solomon's Temple. Tradition- ally the Jews gather there every Friday for prayers and lamentations for the Dispersion and lost glories of Israel.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Wailing Wall of the Jews” mean?
An enclosure in Jerusalem containing a wall said to be built of stones from Solomon's Temple. Tradition- ally the Jews gather there every Friday for prayers and lamentations for the Dispersion and lost glories of Israel.
Is “Wailing Wall of the Jews” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.