Tomb of Zecharia
This grand monument is built into the rock on the foothills of Mount of Olives. According to tradition it is the tomb of the prophet Zechariah.
Zechariah 1: 1-2: "In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers".
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Overview:
The Tomb of Zechariah is a grand monument in the upper Kidron valley (Yehoshafat valley), on the foothills of Mount of Olives, and facing the temple mount. It is cut into the rock and made entirely from that rock.
Location:
The tomb is built on the lower western foothills of Mount of Olives, facing the old city of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of Kidron valley. This entire area is a large cemetery with thousands of tombs. It is located south to the tomb of Absalom, and adjacent to the Bnei-Hezir tombs cluster.
History of the place:
Zechariah was a prophet in Judea. According to the Biblical dating his prophets were from 520-518BC at the time Darius, as described in the book of Zechariah. The Bible also tells us (2 Chronicles 24) that he was killed, stoned to death, in the temple by the orders of King Yoash.
There is no certainty, nor documentation, that certifies that this monumental tomb is indeed the prophet's tomb. The tradition of the name of the tomb is from the middle ages; it is first described in 1215 AD by Menachem Hachevroni (according to Z. Vilani).
The tomb was a site of Jewish prayers, especially in 9th of the month of Av - the day of the destruction of the temple. There were some documented stories that told of prayers for rain on dry winters (such as in years 1651 and 1690) which succeeded and stopped the drought.
The design:
The entire tomb is cut into the natural rock and is indeed a remarkable memorial. It is composed of a base with external stairs, a middle part in the shape of a cube with half columns, and a rectangular pyramid top.
On the bottom of the front of the tomb is a hole, and stairs lead to an inner chamber. This hole was revealed by the Jordanians while clearing the area.
Photos:
A view of the area of the tomb, in the bottom of the large Jewish cemetery on the lower foothills of Mount of Olives. On the right side is the Tomb of Zechariah, and to its left is the cluster of tombs known as the tombs of Bnei-Hezir. There are also side steps that lead from the tomb into Bnei-Hezir tomb.
On the bottom of the tombs is the Kidron valley.
Click on the photos to view in higher resolution...
This is a close up of the tomb.
Biblical References:
(a) Zechariah 1: 1-2 :
This is the preface of the book of the prophet Zechariah:
"In the eighth month, in
the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son
of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The LORD hath been sore
displeased with your fathers".
(b) 2 Chronicles 24: 20-21 :
Zechariah was stoned to death in the temple during the Judean kingdom of Yoash:
"And the Spirit of God
came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the
people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments
of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he
hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with
stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness
which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died,
he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it."
Etymology (behind the name):
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