Joseph's Tomb

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Joseph's grave, within the tomb.
Joseph's grave, within the tomb.

Joseph's Tomb is a shrine near the city of Nablus in the West Bank. It is traditionally considered by some religious branches to be the burial place of the Biblical patriarch Joseph, and is located in the Samaritan city of Shechem; others consider Joseph to have been buried next to the Cave of the Patriarchs, where a mediaeval structure known as the kalah (castle) is now located[1].

Some archaeologists believe that the site in Nablus is a few centuries old and could contain the remains of a Muslim sheikh named Yusef Al-Dwaik[2]. According to Jewish texts, Joseph's body was taken from Egypt during the Exodus and later reinterred in Shechem [3] in the specific spot purchased legally by Jacob.[4]

According to tradition, Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are also buried at the site.

Contents

[edit] The yeshiva and vandalism of the tomb

Israel first gained control of the tomb in 1967, following the Six-Day War and a small settlement grew inside the site compound.[citation needed]

In the mid-1980s a Jewish yeshiva, Od Yosef Chai, was built at the site along with an Israeli Defence Forces military outpost.

In 1995, the settlement was transferred to Palestinian National Authority jurisdiction,[citation needed] however Israeli troops continued to control the site to ensure free access to students and pilgrims in accordance with the Oslo accords.[5] During the Western Wall Tunnel riots in 1996, the tomb was attacked and six Israeli soldiers were killed.

Near the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in October 2000, the shrine became a target of armed militant demonstrators. Seventeen Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in fighting around the tomb.[6] On October 7, 2000 the Israeli army withdrew from the site leaving it in the hands of the Palestinians.[7] Soon afterward, the holy tomb and army post were ransacked (the outpost and yeshiva were destroyed in this deliberate attack on a site sacred to both Christians and Jews); the Palestinian police allegedly allowed the ransacking to go ahead without intervention.[8]

Nablus mayor Ghassan Shakaa promised to repair the site to its pre-1967 state[citation needed], and repairs were carried out; however, workers painted the exterior of the shrine's dome green (the color of Islam), fuelling speculation that the Palestinians intended to build a mosque on the site. After some world outcry, the dome was repainted a neutral color.[citation needed]

Since 2000, Israelis are no longer allowed to visit the site, although some pilgrims are at times allowed to enter under armed escort. Despite the ban some Breslov hasidim still visit the site under the cover of darkness evading army and police checkpoints. There had been an incident where some of these pilgrims were attacked and wounded.[1] With this ban and the fears that Palestinian authorities are not sufficiently protecting Jewish and Christian religious sites[5] the shrine has become the source of ongoing frustration and anger amongst Jews.

On February 23, 2003 the carved stone covering the grave was destroyed.[9]

On May, 2007, the Breslov hasidim visited the site for the first time in two years. In 2007, it was discovered that the tomb had been vandalized, and filled with burning garbage[10].In February 2008, vandals set burning tires inside the tomb.[11] As a response, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared the tomb a Muslim holy site, and downplayed reports of joint Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on restoring the tomb.[12]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review, Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years, May/June 1985
  2. ^ Suggested by JVL Article
  3. ^ According to Joshua 24:32
  4. ^ According to Genesis 33:18-20
  5. ^ a b The Oslo accords set out that the Palestinian Authority is responsible for the safety of Jewish and Christian religious sites under its control and that it has to ensure free access to them
  6. ^ (April 2005) Palestine and Palestinians. Ramallah, Palestine: Alternative Tourism Group. ISBN 9950-319-01-3
  7. ^ Date confirmed by palestinefacts.org source
  8. ^ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/joetomb.html Jewish Virtual Library
  9. ^ קבר יוסף בשכם
  10. ^ Joseph's Tomb is Shechem's Garbage Dump - News Briefs - Arutz Sheva
  11. ^ Klein, Aaron "Palestinians burn Joseph's Tomb" World Net Daily 2/12/2008
  12. ^ Klein, Aaron "Biblical hero Joseph 'was really a Muslim'" World Net Daily 2/14/2008

[edit] References

[edit] External links