Josephus also states the temple was built on a square tower about
600 foot on a side, jutting out into the Kidron valley with the
southeast corner in the deepest part of the Kidron valley. The wall of
that tower was over 300 foot high at that location.
There is no way that tower resembles todays faux temple mount. He also
says the massive fortress Antonia was on the much higher hill to the
North of the temple mount. And that there were two causeways from this
fortress down to the walls of the temple mount tower.