Having read your post regarding the
"Western Wall" and worshiping "at"
the wall, I just thought "they are worshipping
"at" the wall ... not worshipping "the wall"....
 
 This isn't what I initially intended to write but
it just came to me as I started this reply....
 
Also it just came to me that the Western
Wall is the CLOSEST to the original
Holy of Holies that the Jews are physically
able to get to....  ie the closest they
can "get to God" or where He used
to dwell....
Maybe "the Wall" is a type for the original
curtain that seperated the presence of
God in the Holy of Holies from the peoples
in the outer and inner courts.... and that for
them the "curtain" hasn't been "rent" yet.
 
 ... hmmm just a thought to ponder....
 
Now to the original comment I intended
to write.... I would believe that the mindset
of the middle-easterners stems
from the "old testament" practices of
erecting stones     ie monuments in places.
 
God told the Israelites to place twelve
stones in the river and on the bank of the
river so that when their children asked
"What is the meaning of these stones?"
Their reply would be that this is the place
where God delivered us and helped us.
 
...so in the mindset of the Israelites stone
monuments represents a place or a time
where God moved or spoke or intervened
for them.... an event to be remembered...
 
 
At the entrance of the city at Tel Dan, we
were told that two stones set upright
were pagan in nature to "represent their
gods"... so both cultures used stones as
either gods or a place where God interviened.....
so stones and monuments
were important to them in times past...
 
Thank you John for bringing these questions
up.... it makes us all ponder what are the
real or true meaning of these things..
 
Don