Temple of Janus (Roman Forum) Temple of Janus (Roman Forum) In ancient Rome, the main Temple of Janus as it is often called, although it was not a normal temple, stood in the Roman Forum near the Argiletum. It had doors on both ends, and inside was a statue of Janus, the two-faced god of boundaries. The doors (the "Gates of Janus") were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war. According to Livy 1.19 the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, decided to distract the early, warlike Romans from their violent ways by instilling in them awe and reverence. His projects
The Gates of the Forest The Gates of the Forest The Gates of the Forest is a 1966 book written by Elie Wiesel. The preface of the book includes a story often referred to as "God made man because He loves stories." The story imagines that a series of historical Hasidic leaders each followed a 3-step ritual for accomplishing the rescue of his respective community through a miracle. The founder of the tradition was Yisroel ben Eliezer (Baal Shem Tov and the three steps were to go to a specific area of a forest to meditate, say a specific prayer and light a fire. However,