Tremendous stones were used in the construction of the Temple Mount walls. How were these stones brought to the site? How were they lifted into place? The Roman architect Vitruvius, Herod's contemporary, described the ancient's use of devices, such as wheels, sleds and cranes, for transporting and hoisting these massive blocks of stone (On Architecture, Book X, Chapter II, 1;14). It is possible that similar devices were used in the construction of the Temple Mount. The three devices described below are reconstructed at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park (Tour 1, Site 14) and are accessible to the public through Davidson's center.

(a) Large wheels (at least 4 m in diameter) made of wooden beams were fitted around each of the stone's ends, and planks were affixed around the stone. The stone itself served as the 'axle', and was thus moved by rolling, using only a small number of oxen. The stone in the wheel that is exhibited in the Archaeological Park weighs about 4.5 tons. This stone was rolled on a beaten-earth path by 8-10 men, i.e., each man pushing some 450 kilograms! (b) A sled made of a wooden frame, resting on wooden logs that served as wheels. After the sled had passed over the rear rollers, these would be moved up to the front of the sled, and so on.

(c) A bipod crane, made of wooden beams secured with ropes, is one of the cranes described by Vitruvius. This crane comprised a hoisting cable that was passed through several suspended pulleys. As each pulley could lift a weight equal to twice the force exerted on it, two pulleys could lift four times the force. Thus, with two pulleys, a stone weighing about one and a half tons required a force of 400 kilograms. Therefore, each of the eight men operating this device would merely need to exert a force of 50 kilograms.