• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TOMB OF RACHEL

August 7, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Bethlehem, Palestine

Bethlehem

Tomb of Rachel (wikipedia.com)

The town of Bethlehem is so closely associated with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the Christmas holiday that it is easy to forget the city’s Jewish heritage and the significant role that Bethlehem played in the Hebrew Bible.  First and foremost it is the location of the Tomb of Rachel, the second wife of the patriarch Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.  The Tomb of Rachel is nearly as old as the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and almost as revered, especially among Jewish women.  It is also one of the most definitively recognized holy sites of the patriarchal period, and because of its proximity to the Church of the Nativity, one of the most popular Jewish sites in Israel for non-Jewish visitors.

History

The history of Bethlehem as part of Jewish tradition begins long before the birth of Jesus.  Bethlehem was originally a fortified Canaanite town dating as far back as five thousand years.  It first appeared on the Biblical stage sometime around the 19th century BC.  Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was then passing through the area that is now Bethlehem when his second wife Rachel gave birth to his twelfth and last son, Benjamin.  She died during the particularly difficult childbirth, and Jacob acquired a small parcel of land and buried her beside the road.

Centuries later, after the Israelite conquest of Canaan, Bethlehem was assigned to the territory of Judah.  Despite the fact that the tribe of Judah was not descended from Rachel, her tomb was revered both locally and in the larger Israelite realm.  Many early pilgrims began visiting the tomb as early as the days of the judges.  During this period, Bethlehem was home to Ruth, another prominent woman of the Bible.  Ruth was part of the line of the house of Judah, and her relocation to Bethlehem set the stage for the arrival of one of the city’s most famous figures: her great-grandson, David.

David’s family were members of the House of Judah who resided in Bethlehem.  After the death of Saul, David assumed the kingship over all of the Israelites.  After he was anointed by the prophet Samuel, the city of his birth became united Israel’s first capital.  In later years, Bethlehem was supplanted by Jerusalem, and in the ensuing centuries it quietly faded into obscurity.  Nevertheless, David’s descendents continued to revere Bethlehem as their ancestral home, even during the Babylonian Captivity.

It wasn’t until a thousand years later that Bethlehem skyrocketed back to importance.  During the now-famous census of Augustus Caesar around 5 BC, David’s famous descendents Joseph and Mary returned, and Bethlehem’s other famous son, Jesus of Nazareth, was born.  By the end of the 2nd century AD, Bethlehem as a Jewish holy site was eclipsed by countless Christians who swarmed to visit the site of the Nativity.  Nevertheless, overshadowed as it was, Bethlehem’s importance to Judaism never faded in all of the ensuing centuries, and Rachel’s Tomb is among the Jewish people’s greatest pilgrimage treasures.

Visiting

While the Tomb of Rachel dates back to the days of the Patriarchs, the shrine above it is relatively recent.  The building which currently stands along the road leading out of Bethlehem was not constructed until the 19th century.  It consists of only two rooms, the antechamber and the shrine above her gravesite.  The latter is crowned by a dome, which suggests either Islamic or Byzantine construction, but the building was actually financed and built by Moses Montefiore, a British Jew.

The tomb itself dates back thousands of years, and its authenticity is considered as reliable as that of the Patriarchs in Hebron.  A large stone marks the gravesite, while eleven smaller stones rest upon it.  According to an unlikely tradition, these stones were put in place by Jacob’s eleven sons, Benjamin being a newborn infant at the time.

The Tomb of Rachel is located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, less than ten miles south of Jerusalem.  While Bethlehem lies within territory of the Palestinian authority, the Tomb of Rachel is technically outside of the town, and nominally under the jurisdiction of the Israeli government.  It is thus easier to visit then many other Biblical sites located in the West Bank.  In general the shrine is open to visitors daily from 1:30am-10:30pm except during the Sabbath and on holidays.  However, the tomb is subject to unexpected closings due to security reasons.  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.keverrachel.com (official website)

Other Sites

Despite the numerous Biblical events that took place in and around Bethlehem, few specific locations have been identified with certainty.  The Field of Ruth where the loyal matriarch lived and worked lies outside of the town.

Filed Under: Gravesite Biblical, Jewish, Old Testament Site Tagged With: Palestine

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.