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Covering the evidence. An example of the damage caused by uncontrolled building on the Temple Mount is shown here. This photo shows how the remains of a wall in the northern portion of the Mount looked before the construction of a path across it; for comparison, see photograph of wall after construction. Before the landscaping the two sides of the wall appeared as parallel rows of stones flush with the ground. The wall, according to BAR author Asher Kaufman, formed the foundation for the eastern wall of the Temple compound; its approximately 6-foot width is also important for determining the length of the cubit, the unit used in the Bible and Talmud in describing the dimensions of the Temple.