Spikes and Birds

This picture

illustrates a difference between the Temple (Jewish) and the Dome (Islamic) buildings.

The Temple had a special element on the roof to keep birds off.

Here:

There were golden spikes affixed to the roof of the sanctuary to keep birds from landing on it [those that stood on the top of the holy house) with sharp points; they were fixed into lead, to prevent the birds from sitting there, and defiling the holy house; for such spikes there were now upon it, as Josephus himself hath already assured us]

And here:

THE HEKAL WAS A HUNDRED CUBITS BY A HUNDRED33 WITH A HEIGHT OF A HUNDRED...THREE CUBITS FOR THE PARAPET AND A CUBIT FOR THE SPIKES. R. JUDAH SAYS THE SPIKES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MEASUREMENT, THE PARAPET BEING FOUR CUBITS.

And, by the way,

WHILE the holy house was on fire...the priests, some of them, plucked up from the holy house the spikes that were upon it, with their bases, which were made of lead, and shot them at the Romans instead of darts. 

^