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FAMOUS JEWISH & CHRISTIAN GRAVES
The important graves and cemeteries that can be found throughout Israel reflect the strong Jewish & Christian ties to the holy land of Israel.
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Samuel's Tomb
The tomb of Samuel (Nabi/Nebi Samuel) is located in a synagogue below a mosque built atop the ruins of a church. It is considered a holy site by Muslims, Jews, and Christians and believed to be the final resting place of the prophet Samuel. The interior of the mosque preserved the architectural features of the Crusaders Church, The underground chamber was once the crypt of the Crusaders church and houses a synagogue.
Photo by: Alexey Goral
RACHELS TOMB
Rachel's Tomb (Hebrew: קבר רחל translit. Qever Raḥel, Arabic: قبر راحيل Qabr Rāḥīl) is the site revered as the burial place of the matriarch Rachel. The tomb is considered holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The tomb is located at the northern entrance of Betlehem. The burial place of the matriarch Rachel as mentioned in the Jewish Tanakh, the Christian Old Testament and in Muslim literature is contested between this site and several others to the north. Although this site is considered unlikely to be the actual site of the grave, it is by far the most recognized candidate.
Photo: Daniel Ventura
TOMBS OF RUTH AND YISHAI (JESSE)
A structure from the time of the Crusaders stands at the top of the biblical Tel Hevron, today known as Tel Rumeida, (Admot Yishai Neighborhood). According to tradition, this structure marks the grave site of Yishai (Jesse), father of David. This is verified by Rabeinu Ovadia from Bartenura, who prayed there, along with others who also visited the site. Later tradition holds that the site is also the burial place of Ruth the Moabite (the mother of Yishais father). Due to this tradition, the Jewish cemetery in Hevron was established adjacent to the grave site.
TOMB OF BENJAMIN / KEVER BINYAMIN
According to Judaism,the Tomb of Benjamin called Kever Binyamin in Hebrew, is the traditional burial site of Benjamin the last son of Jacob. Although many consider Binyamin’s burial place to be unknown, a 14th century Jewish tradition holds that his tomb is close to the city of Kfar Saba. His burial place was originally marked by Tankiz, a Muslim Mamluk ruler and muslims greatly respect the memory of Benjamin, calling him Nebi al-Yamin.
Photo: Avishai teicher
Photo: Jacek555
Photo: Adriel/ עדירל
DAVID'S TOMB
King David's Tomb is a site considered by some to be the burial place of biblical king David of Israel, according to a Christian, Jewish, and Muslim tradition. In the mid-nineteenth century, engineer and amateur archaeologist Ermete Pierotti reported discovering a cavern beneath the grounds of the Byzantine and Crusader churches on Mount Zion which he suspected extended to beneath the Tomb of David. A limited exploration revealed human remains within a huge vault supported by piers. The cavern has yet to be confirmed or scientifically excavated. In 1951, archaeologist Pinkerfeld worked in the lower parts of the structure and interpreted them as being the remains of a synagogue which, in his opinion, had later been used as a church by Judeo-Christians.[
JOSEPH TOMB
Although Archaeological evidence is lacking, the town of Nablus/Shechem is considered by Jews, Christians as the tomb of Joseph (Hebrew: קבר יוסף, Qever Yosef, Arabic: قبر يوسف, Qabr Yūsuf). The funerary monument is located at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerezim and Mount Ebal. It has been venerated throughout the ages by Samaritans, for whom it is the second holiest site, by Jews, by Christians, and by Muslims, some of whom view it as the location of a local medieval sheik Yusef Al-Dwaik. Sadly the Tomb has been desecrated and damaged by Arab rioters.
CAVE OF MACHPELA / TOMBS OF THE PATRIARCHS
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The Tombs of the Patriarchs in the city of Hebron is the burial place of three biblical couples —Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. The second holiest site in Judaism after the Western Wall in Jerusalem, it is also sacred to the other two Abrahamic faiths, Christianity and Islam.
The site is both a synagogue and place of worship for Jews (Christians are also allowed) and a mosque and place of worship for Muslims. The site is even older than Jerusalem making it the oldest sacred site of Judaism. Both Christians and Jews have strongly opposed the UNESCO description of Hebron/Machpela that is completely erasing this site, its unique history and the scientific knowledge about Heborn.
SIMEON 'THE JUST'/HATZADIK
Simeon the Righteous or Simeon the Just (Hebrew: שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַדִּיק Šīməʿōn haṢadīq) was a Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. He is also referred to in the Mishnah, where he is described as one of the last members of the Great Assembly.
According to the Talmud, when Alexander the Great marched through the Land of Israel in the year 332 BC, Simeon the Just, dressed in his priestly garments went to meet him. As soon as Alexander saw him, he descended from his chariot and bowed respectfully before him. When Alexander's courtiers criticized this act, he replied that it had been intentional, since he had had a vision in which he had seen the high priest, who had predicted his victory. Alexander demanded that a statue of himself be placed in the Temple, but the high priest explained that this was impossible. He promised instead that all the sons born of priests in that year would be named Alexander. Josephus relates the same story but identifies the high priest in the story as Jaddua rather than Simon. This story appears to be identical with 3 Maccabees 2, where Seleucus (Kasgalgas) is mentioned. This account is almost certainly legendary.
Photo: Bukvoed
SHMAYA & ABTALION
Jish / Gush Halav
Shemaiah or Shmaya was a rabbinic sage in the first Century BC who lived at the same time as Abtalion. They are known as one of the Zugot ("couples"): Shemaiah and Abtalion; Shemaiah holding the title of 'Nasi'or prince of the Sanhedrin whilst Abtalion holding served as the assistant or second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple Period. Historian Josephus mentioned Sameas and Pollion possibly identical to Shemaiah and Abtalion. Shemaiah led the Sanhedrin during the turbulent transition period between the Hasmonean dynasty and the rise of King Herod who held both Abtalion and Shemaiah in great honour. Their Rock cut Tombs can be found near the ancient site of Jish/Gush Halav.
Jethro's Tomb
19th century building on ancient remains - Hittin
Photo by Saleh 'Aqel Khatib
In the Biblical Book of Exodus, Jethro is identified as the father-in-law of Moses, and as such, his burial place is a holy site to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. But Druze tradition considers Jethro to be a prophet in his own right, ascribing major significance to the Bible passage where he advises Moses on important principles of public justice. A popular pilgrimage destination for people of all faiths, the Tomb of Jethro (also known as Nebi Shu’eib, Nabi Shu’ayb or Neby Shoaib), located adjacent to the abandoned Muslim village of Hittin near Tiberias, has been administered by Druze authorities since 1948.
The current building was constructed in the late 19th century and provides shelter for the Druze who conduct pilgrimages (ziyara) here. Following generations of conflict between the local Druze and Sunni communities, in 1948, the Israeli government built an access road, provided electricity and water to the site and granted full custodianship of the shrine, as well as land surrounding it, to the Druze. The room where the actual tomb is located is thought to be at least 18 centuries old. Look for the patch of stone that is believed to be a footprint of Jethro’s. Druze pilgrims have a custom of filling the footprint with oil and then rubbing that oil over themselves. It is believed that this brings good fortune.
HERODIAN GRAVES
Burial Israel Museum Photo: Efi Elian
TOMB OF KING HEROD
The tomb of King Herod the Great has was found at Herodium in the Judean Desert. It was known from the Roman historian Josephus that Herod was buried at Herodium, his desert retreat and architectural masterpiece, but the exact location along a mountainside was unknown. The digging also required studying and preserving Byzantine ruins that were build on top of Roman ruins. A podium, urns and a limestone sarcophagus decorated with rosettes was found during the excavation that was led by archaeologist Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The sarcophagus is broken into hundreds of pieces. This destruction is thought to have been carried out during the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome between 66 and 73 C.E., a sign of the complicated legacy of Herod. Remarkable is also the synagogue found in the Herodium Mount, one of the oldest synagogues in the world.
Photo: Sir Kiss
HERODS FAMILY GRAVE
In Jerusalem lies the site where King Herod the Great chose to bury members of his family killed during the violent fits of paranoia that, alongside a penchant for grandiose construction projects, were his main claim to fame. Among those buried at the three-chamber site is the King’s notoriously breathtaking wife Mariamne, who was singled out for execution after Herod’s infamous sister, Salome, informed him that she had committed adultery. Near the entrance, archaeologists have excavated a pyramid. Stairs lead down into the entrance passage, beyond which are the tomb’s three chambers. Interesting is also the rolling stone door used to seal the Tomb. During World War II, the British Mandate used the crypt as an air-raid shelter, moving the original sarcophagi to the Monastery of Constantine in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.
GRAVE OF JESUS & GRAVE OF MARY AND HER PARENTS
The exact location in Jerusalem regarding the Grave of Jesus is still a matter of discussion. The two contenders for this most holy site in Christianity are shown here:
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE - GRAVE OF JESUS
(photo D.P. Mellema)
Located just outside the city walls of Jerusalem you will find The Garden Tomb. Near to the Damascus Gate this ancient rock-cut tomb is located in a beautiful garden. The Garden Tomb was unearthed in 1867 and is considered by some Protestants to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. The tomb itself has been dated by Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay to as early as the 8th–7th centuries BC. The use of Rolling stone doors was more common in Israel (see Also Herods Family Grave).
GARDEN TOMB JERUSALEM
Located just outside the city walls of Jerusalem you will find The Garden Tomb. Near to the Damascus Gate this ancient rock-cut tomb is located in a beautiful garden. The Garden Tomb was unearthed in 1867 and is considered by some Protestants to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. The tomb itself has been dated by Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay to as early as the 8th–7th centuries BC. The use of Rolling stone doors was more common in Israel (see Also Herods Family Grave).
(Photo: Thanks to Pisit Heng! via Unsplash)
GRAVE OF MARY & CHAPEL FOR JOSEPH AND HER PARENTS
(photo Mary's Tomb 1867 AD - Wikimedia Commons)
The 12th century facade of the church of Assumption and a courtyard are shielding the tomb of Mary, mother of Jesus. The church in the Kidron Valley has an easy recognisable Crusader style facade. A 12th century staircase leads down to the chapel of Mary's parents, Joahim and Anne and on the other side the chapel for Joseph, Mary's husband. On the eastern side of the church there is the chapel of Mary's tomb. The Armenian Patriarchate Armenian Apostolic Church of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox church of Jerusalem are in possession of the shrine. The Syriacs, Copts and the Ethiopean churches have minor rights.
Photo: Deror_Avi)
ROCK CUT TOMBS IN ISRAEL
Besides the famous Garden Tomb in
Jerusalem there are more Rock cut tombs
in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel.
(photos thanks to wikimedia commons)
3th century BC - 4th century AD
BEIT SHEARIM
Beit She'arim (Hebrew: בֵּית שְׁעָרִים, "House of the Gates") is the name urretly used for the ancient Jewish town of Bet She'arayim (בּית שערַיִם, "House of Two Gates") or Kfar She'arāyim (כְּפר שערַיִם, "Village of Two Gates"). The necropolis now known as Beit She'arim National Park. The partially excavated archaeological site consists mainly of an extensive necropolis. It is situated 20 km east of Haifa. In 2015, the necropolis was declared a Unesco world heritage site. The town's vast necropolis is carved out of soft limestone and contains more than 30 burial cave systems. Also the intriguing 9 ton glass slab was found in the Cave of Beit She'arim. Most of the remains date from the 2nd to 4th century CE. Nearly 300 inscriptions have been discovered at the necropolis, most of which engraved in Greek and a few in Hebrew and Aramaic. Geographical references in these inscriptions reveal that the necropolis was used by people from the town of Beit She'arim, from elsewhere in Galilee, and even from cities as far away as Palmyra (in Syria) and Tyre. Others came from Antioch (in Turkey), Mesene (in South Mesopotamia), the Previously Phoenician coast (Sidon, Beirut, Byblos) and even Himyar (in Yemen).
CATHOLIC CEMETERY & GRAVE OF SAINT STEPHEN
34 AD / 1848 AD mount Zion Jerusalem
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The Catholic cemetery was started in 1848 when the British consul general in Constantinople and his colleague in Jerusalem, received a firman from the Ottoman rulers to purchase a cemetery plot for the Protestant community. Eventually it became a cemetery for many christians churches in Jerusalem and some famous persons where buried there (Archeologist Flinders Petrie for example). The Cemetery has a memorial for fallen soldiers of All faiths in WW I.
Near the cemetery the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Stephens can be seen. It is one of the two sites that supposed to be the place were St Stephens was stoned to death (the other is the Stephens Gate). He became the first Christian 'martyr' and he was supposedly buried in the beautiful Catholic Basilica and monastery of Saint Stephens (or St Etienne) in Jerusalem.
OSKAR SCHINDLER'S GRAVE
The Catholic parish cemetery is located on the street above the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on the southern hillside of Mt. Zion. The north-eastern part of the cemetery is old and destroyed since the bombing by the Jordanian military in 1948. There are mainly Catholics buried at the parish cemetery and also local catholic Christians who were mainly arabic speaking.
A famous grave is the tomb of Oskar Schindler (1908-1974). The industrialist, who was born and raised in Zwickau, saved the lives of over 1000 Jews during World War II. Even after the war, Oskar Schindler was in close contact to his former Jewish employees in Jerusalem. His last wish was to be buried at the Catholic parish cemetery on Mt. Zion. Oskar Schindler became famous through Steven Spielberg´s movie “Schindlers List” from 1993. In his final scene the real Jews, who were rescued by Schindler, are shown with their actors putting stones in memorial on the grave of Oskar Schindler .
GRAVES OF ABU GHOSH
Jewish tombs with rolling stones at Abou Gosh. Rolling stone tomb, without figure. Abu Ghosh or Kirjath Jearim. According to tradition Kiriath Jearim (Hebrew: Kir’yat Ye’arim – House of woods”) is the place where the ark of Covenant was stationed after the Philistines returned it to the Israelites. Later, King David moved it to the temple in Jerusalem. (See also Abu Ghosh Monastery)
TOMB OF LAZARUS
Today known as Al-Eizariya in the past Bethany.
The site, sacred to Christians and Muslims has been identified as the tomb of the gospel account since at least the 4th century AD. As the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913 states, it is "quite certain that the present village formed about the traditional tomb of Lazarus, which is in a cave in the village" but the identification of this particular cave as the actual tomb of Lazarus is "merely possible but uncertain". Archeologists have established that the area was used as a cemetery in the 1st century AD, with tombs of this period found "a short distance north of the church." Several Christian churches have existed at the site over the centuries. Since the 16th century, the site of the tomb has been occupied by the al-Uzair Mosque.
GRAVE OF HELENA OF ADIABENE
Adiabene was a small kingdom that was a vassal state of the Parthian empire between 247 BC and 224 AD 224 in northern Mesopotamia (now Kurdistan-Iraq). Its capital was Arba-ilu (Arbela; modern Irbil). In the 1st century AD its royal family embraced Judaism; the queen mother Helena, converted to Judaism around 30 AD and became famous for her generosity to the Jews and the Temple. She and her sons Monobazus II and Izates II were buried in the Tombs of the Kings at Jerusalem. According to roman historian Josephus Helene in her lifetime built pyramids over the tomb. Her tomb was discovered by the French archaeologist Louis Félicien Caignart de Saulcy (1807–1880). The sarcophagus discovered in the sepulchre bore the inscription צדן מלכתא—Queen Sadan. (Helena of Adiabene's Persian name was Sadan).
(Photo: wikimedia Commons: Tomb of Helena at Israel museum)
GRAVE OF PROPHETESS HULDAH OR SAINT PELAGIA
The Grave is supposed to be of the legendary 4th- or 5th-century Christian hermit and penitent, Saint Pelagia of Antioch. She had build a cell for herself on the mount of Olives, where she lived ascetic, disguised as a monk and performed many miracles. Most Western Christian pilgrims of the 14th century venerated the tomb as that of St Mary the Egyptian, The Jewish tradition attributing the tomb to the prophetess Huldah although the tomb of Huldah is also said to lie behind Jerusalem's city walls. The grave is also important for Muslims since the 14th century who attribute the Grave to different women.
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TOMB OF SAINT GEORGE
303 AD - Lod Israel
Saint George (of Lydda) who died on 23 April 303 was a Christian who is venerated as a saint. According to tradition he was a soldier in the Praetorian Gard of the Roman army for emperor Diocletian. His parents were Christians of Greek origin. His father, Gerontius served in the Roman army and his mother was born in Lod. Saint George was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith and he became one of the most venerated martyrs that died for chosing Christianity. He is immortalized in the legend of Saint George and the dragon. His memorial, Saint George Day is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. His crypt were his remains are kept is in the Greek Saint George Monastery of Lod.
GRAVES OF IMPORTANT RABBI'S
Important graves and pilgrimage sites.
2nd century BC -16th century AD.
RABBI MOSES BEN MAIMON
1205 AD Tiberias
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as the Rambam (acronym for Moses ben Maimon) or Maimonides, lived in 12th century Egypt, where he was a great halachic (Jewish law) authority. Maimonides, who was born in Cordova, Spain in 1135. Later he moved from there to Morocco and then to Egypt. The Rambam died in Fustat, Egypt in 1204 but he was reburied in 1205 in Tiberias. He was a scholar, philosopher, doctor, writer and one of the greatest minds ever produced by the Jewish people. In Egypt, Maimonides served as the royal physician to the Sultan. Rambam's Grave is in central Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. His most comprehensive work on Jewish law was the 14-volume Mishne Torah.
JEWISH CEMETERY OF HEBRON
West of the Tomb of the Patrarchs (Machpels) lies the old Jewish cemetery in Hebron that has been in use since the Middle Ages (on source mentioned 1290 AD while an other mentioned 1322). Important Rabbis have been buried in Hebron and Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas is one them (see Famous Rabbi's above). Menachem Mendel of Kamenitz, the first hotelier in the Land of Israel, describes his visit in 1839 to the grave of this Rabbi in his book Sefer Korot Ha-Itim. After the Jordan army captured the Westbank between 1948-1967, the cemetery was intentionally destroyed. Local Arab residents used the cemetery for the cyltivation of crops and more than 4,000 tombstones were stolen from the cemetery.
MOUNT OLIVES - JEWISH CEMETERY
Mount Olives Cemetery is the largest and one of the holiest Jewish cemeteries in the world. It contains somewhere between 70,000 and 150.000 graves. Important well-known Rabbi's are buried on the slopes of Mount Olives: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro ("Bartenura"), Rabbi Yehuda Hehasid (Rabbi Judah the Pious) and Holy Land scholars Rabbi Yehosef Schwartz and Samuel Klein.
And aso the grave of a legendary Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Sharabi (known as “The Rashash”) who lived from 1720 until 1777. He was the deacon of Talmudic learning in the City of Jerusalem and was buried in 1777 AD on the Mount of Olives.
This Jewish cemetery developed in the Late Middle Ages (15th-16th centuries). The Jewish cemetery used to be near the eastern wall of the Temple Mount but under pressure of the Muslims rulers (Mamluks) in the 14th century the Jews were forced to abandon this site.
GRAVES OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHS NEAR CHURCH OF ST. SAVIOUR.
18th century cemetery - 14th century church
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Outside the Old City walls, close to the Zion Gate, stand the 14th century St. Saviour church and the adjacent Armenian civil cemetery. The church courtyard, surrounded by an arcade, has served as a burial ground for the Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem since the 18th century. The bishops, guardians of the holy sites and second in rank to the patriarchs, are buried under the paving in the center of the courtyard. In charge of the holy sites and the church’s treasures, these men had great power when they were alive. Now, in death, the stones set on their graves serve as pavement for pilgrims and visitors to step on, a testimony to the bishops’ humility.
In the years after the First World War, following the Armenian Genocide, many Armenian refugees arrived in Jerusalem and settled within the grounds of St. James monastery. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem allocated a large area of the Mount Zion cemetery to civilians, meaning those who were not members of the clergy. The allocated land has since been divided to an area meant for church use, where monks live and priests are buried, and to an area intended for non-clergy burial.
Between 1948 and 1967 the cemetery was in no-man’s land between Israel and Jordan, and many buildings, tombs and ornaments were damaged. Residents of the Armenian quarter received a temporary burial area within the monastery compound inside the Old City, which was under Jordanian control. After 1967 Old City residents were once again able to use the Mount Zion cemetery. The second floor of the church building was renovated, and the arches were closed with glass windows. In the 1970s the Armenian community began construction on a new church, intending to incorporate old tombstones in the church walls. However, as a result of planning issues and the new Mount Zion zoning plan, construction stopped and the foundation was left to crumble. The civil cemetery is still used for burial today, but due to significant emigration in the late 20th century with many Armenian families leaving Jerusalem, the cemetery is now mostly abandoned. The church compound is also the place of residence for priests and other members of the clergy serving in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The church and the courtyard, which were neglected for many years, have recently undergone restoration during the tenure of current Patriarch Nourhan Manougian.
'GERMAN COLONY' - TEMPLER CEMETERY
1873 until WWII - Moshava neighbourhood Jerusalem
At the end of the 19th century the German Templers establishing 'colonies' in Haifa, Jaffa and in 1873 in Jerusalem. The Templers were Evangelical Christians who broke away from Lutheran Church in Germany. They believed that the Day of Judgment was near and encouraged their members to settle in the Holy Land to prepare for Messianic salvation. They bought the land from Arabs and settled in the Refaim Valley (the valley mentioned in the Bible by Isaiah), southwest of the Old City of Jerusalem. The build the colony in German style but with local 'Jerusalem stone'. In the second World War the Templers were seen as enemies since the were considered to be 'Germans'. As a result the British Mandatory government deported these citizens of this neighbourhood during World War II and their houses were first taken by Arab citizens. After 1948 the Moshava neighbourhood became a place were many Jewish migrants settled.
GRAVE OF SARAH AARONSOHN AND HER MOTHER MALKA
Cemetery in Zikhron Yaakov, Israel
Sarah Aaronsohn was an brave spy during World War I and she fought to free Palestine from Turkish rule. She committed suicide after arrest by Turkish authorities and was later described as a Jewish Joan of Arc. A true model of a new “Hebrew” femininity and in later wars in the 20th century Jewish women played an important role. She was buried in Zikhron Yaakov in Israel.
Photo: Rebkos