List of burial places of biblical figures

The following is a list of burial places attributed to biblical figures according to various religious and local traditions. The locations listed are not based on factual evidence, but rather locations mentioned in the text of the Bible or oral traditions of indigenous peoples. Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Jordan and Iran have put monuments on the grave locations in an attempt to preserve them as holy sites. Many sites have been transmitted from generation to generation and there are historical accounts from travellers which state their existence.

Figures mentioned in the Torah
Further information: Torah
Biblical figure Place name and location Image Notes
Adam Judaism: Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank,

Christianity: Chapel of Adam, Church of the Holy Sepulchre,

Sunni Islam: disputed

Shia Islam: Imam Ali Mosque, Najaf, Iraq

Eve Judaism: Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank,

Islam: Tomb of Eve, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Abel Nabi Habeel Mosque, Zabadani Valley, Syria
Seth In Judaism: Tiberias, Israel

In Islam: Al-Nabi Shayth, Lebanon,
Bashshit, Palestine
Noah There are several sites that are claimed to be the Tomb of Noah:


See also: Tomb of Noah

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Esau and Leah Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank According to Jewish tradition, only Esau's head is buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs. According to legends, Ishmael was buried here as well.
Ishmael and Hagar Islam: Hajr Ismail, Mecca, Saudi Arabia[2]
Lot Islam: Bani Na'im, near Hebron, West Bank Seen here.
Rachel Rachel's Tomb, outside Bethlehem, West Bank
Zilpah, Bilhah Jochebed, Zipporah, and Elisheva Tomb of the Matriarchs, Tiberias, Israel
Reuben Nabi Rubin, Palmachim, Israel During the Ottoman period Arabs would gather each year at the Mamluk-era structure. Nowadays, infrequent Jewish visitors come to pray at the site.
Judah Yehud, Israel[3]
Simeon Kibbutz Eyal, Israel.
Asher and Naphtali Tel Kedesh near Malkia, Israel Seen here.
Gad Nevei Ganda, in Rehovot, Israel, or Ain Al-Jadur, west of Salt, Jordan (pictured) Seen here
Dan Beit Shemesh, Israel[4] Seen here
Qedar Zanjan, Iran
Zebulun Tomb of Zebulun, Sidon, Lebanon Seen here. In the past, towards the end of Iyyar, Jews from the most distant parts of Palestine and the Jews who lived in Lebanon would make a pilgrimage to this tomb.[5]
Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh Judaism: Joseph's Tomb, Nablus (Shechem), West Bank;

Islam: Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank,

 Some 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.

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.

Benjamin Kfar Saba, Israel
Two structures 30 m away from each other (both pictured) are each claimed by Jews and Muslims as the authentic tomb. This site is questionable, however, because it is not located in the territory of the Tribe of Benjamin.
Serah Pir-i Bakran, near Esfahan, Iran[6]
Moses Mount Nebo (Jordan) Islam: Nabi Musa, West Bank, According to the Bible, the exact place of Moses' grave remains unknown, in order to impede idolatry.
Aaron Tomb of Aaron: Mount Harun near Petra, Jordan. At 1350 meters above sea-level, it is the highest peak in the area; it is believed to be the place where Aaron died and was buried. A 14th-century mosque stands here with its white dome visible from most areas in and around Petra.
Eleazar and Ithamar Awarta, West Bank[7] Due to the uncertain security situation, the Israel Defense Forces limits visits by Jews to one annual night close to the 5th of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar (around January–February).
Jethro Nabi Shu'ayb, Hittin Each year on April 25, the Druze gather at the site to discuss community affairs.[8]
Aholiab Sujod, Southern Lebanon[9] Located at 33.4428°N 35.5381°E

Figures mentioned in the Nevi'im (Prophets)
Further information: Nevi'im
Biblical figure Place name and location Image Notes
Nun Timnath-heres, attributed to Kifl Hares, Salfit Governorate, West Bank
Joshua Timnath-heres, attributed to Kifl Hares, Salfit Governorate, West Bank, also Historical cemetery of Takht e Foolad in Esfahan, Iran Thousands make the pilgrimage to his tomb on the annual commemoration of his death, 26th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.
Joshua An-Nabi Yusha’ bin Noon aka Prophet Joshua's Shrine, near As-Salt, Jordan.[10] A Sunni shrine east of the Jordan Valley.
Caleb Timnath-heres, attributed to Kifl Hares, Salfit Governorate, West Bank
Othniel Ben Kenaz Hebron, West Bank[11] Seen here
Shamgar Tebnine, Lebanon[12] No pictures of the tomb currently exist. The tomb itself can be found at 33°11'53.9"N 35°25'18.1"E
Deborah, Barak and Yael Tel Kaddesh, Israel[13]
Samson Beit Shemesh, Israel[14]
Elkanah Kedita, Upper Galilee, Israel[15] See here
Hannah and Samuel Tomb of Samuel, West Bank.[16] Other sources claim Samuel's tomb is located 30 km outside Saveh City, Iran. Both Jewish and Muslim prayers are held at the tomb. Many religious Jews visit the tomb on the 28th of Iyar, the anniversary of Samuel the Prophet's death.
Eli Shiloh, Samaria According to Jewish tradition the Yahrzeit of Eli the Cohen is on י' באייר — the tenth day of Iyar.
Nathan and Gad Halhul, Hebron Governorate, West Bank The graves of Nathan and Gad are entombed in a mosque that Muslims believe houses the grave of Jonah.
David David's Tomb, Mount Zion, Jerusalem 1 Kings 2:10 says that King David was buried in his own city; the City of David is on the southeastern hill of Jerusalem, Mount Zion is its western hill. The "tomb" is a Crusader-era cenotaph (symbolical, empty sarcophagus). The building dates to the 2nd century CE the earliest, and the tradition of David being buried here was created by Byzantine Christians well over a millennium after his supposed death.[17] The authentic tomb of David is probably a cave noted as 'T1' in a former Roman-era quarry outside of the modern city walls.[18][19]
Absalom Yad Avshalom, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem Archaeologists have dated the tomb to the first century CE. Its association with Absalom only dates from the 12th century.[20] Currently it is not considered by any religious group to be the tomb of Absalom, due to its age (1000 years too recent) and the Bible (2 Samuel 18:17, which says Absalom's body was covered over with stones in a pit in the forest of Ephraim).
Abner ben Ner Hebron, West Bank[21] Rabbi Moses Basola visited the tomb in 1522.[22] Sefer Yihus ha-Tzaddiqim (Book of Genealogy of the Righteous), a collection of travel writings first published in 1561, mentions the tomb.[23]
Isaiah Isaiah mausoleum, Esfahan, Iran[24] or Nahal Dishon, (Israel)
Hushai Yirka, Israel
Iddo Golan Heights,[25]
Jehoshaphat Mount of Olives, Jerusalem [26] Seen here.
Elisha Elisha's Tomb. Disputed between: near Mt. Carmel, West Bank or Kfar Yassif near Acre, Israel and Eğil, Turkey.[27] Seen here
Huldah Mount of Olives, Jerusalem Seen here
Zedekiah Cave of Zedekiah, Old City of Jerusalem [28]
Ezekiel Ezekiel's Tomb, Al Kifl, Iraq Up till the mid-20th century, up to 5,000 Jews used to come to the tomb during Passover.[29] Muslims believe this tomb to be that of an unspecified personality named Dhul-Kifl. (For an image of the tomb, see:[30]) This site was protected under the control of Saddam Hussein.
Baruch ben Neriah Al Kifl, Iraq Exact location unknown. According to tradition Baruch's tomb is located about 1-mile (1.6 km) away from Ezekiel's Tomb near a town called "Mashhad Ali" which there is no record of ever existing. Another claim postulated by the source of some legends regarding the location of the tomb places the structure four parasangs away from the Tomb of Ezra while still maintaining its location a mile from the Tomb of Ezekiel, despite the tombs of Ezra and Ezekiel being close to 51 parasangs apart.
Hosea Ancient Jewish cemetery of Safed, Israel[31]
Amittai Beit Ummar, near Hebron, West Bank Seen here Mosque of Nabi Matta: The main mosque in Beit Ummar housing the tomb of Nabi Matta or Amittai, father of Jonah. Mujir ad-Din writes that Matta was "a holy man from the people of the house of the prophecy." Nearby Halhul houses the tomb of Jonah with the inscription reading "Yunus ibn Matta" or "Jonah son of Amittai", confirming that Matta is indeed the Arabic name for Amittai and the Beit Ummar tomb is dedicated to Amittai. In 1226, the Ayyubid sultan al-Mu'azzam built a mosque with a minaret under the supervision of Jerusalem governor Rashid ad-Din al-Mu'azzami. The Mamluks constructed some additions to the mosque and engraved several inscriptions on its surface.
Jonah Judaism: Mashhad, Israel.

Islam: Halhul, near Beit Ummar, Hebron. (pictured)
Masshad tomb can be seen here.
Micah Kabul, Israel[32]
Nahum Al Qush, south of Dahuk, Iraq. There are however two other sites mentioned in historical accounts: Elkesi, near Ramah in the Galilee and Elcesei in the West Bank[33]
Habakkuk Some locate it at Huqoq, others at Kadarim, Israel.[34][35] Others at Toyserkan, Iran.[36]

Zephaniah En-Nabi Safi, Southern Lebanon[37] No pictures of the tomb currently exist. The tomb itself can be found at 33°28'34.0"N 35°31'58.1"E
Haggai, Malachi, and Zechariah Tomb of the Prophets, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem [38]

Figures mentioned in the Ketuvim (Writings)
Further information: Ketuvim
Biblical figure Place name and location Image Notes
Job In Druzism: Chouf District, Lebanon (pictured). Yaqut al-Hamawi recorded that it was located in Al-Shaykh Saad, while another tradition locates it at Salalah, Oman
Jesse and Ruth Hebron, West Bank
Mordecai and Esther Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, Hamedan, Iran Persian Jews still make annual pilgrimage in honor of the Purim festival.
Daniel Tomb of Daniel, Susa, Iran (pictured). There are however six other traditional sites including Kirkuk in Iraq and Samarkand in Uzbekistan At the site in Kirkuk, the locals claim that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaria are buried alongside Daniel.
Ezra Ezra's Tomb, Al-'Uzayr, near Basra, Iraq Preserved by Jewish caretakers until the middle of the 20th century. From that point, a local Muslim Iraqi took the responsibility of preserving the location. The area surrounding the tomb is used today as a place of Muslim worship although Hebrew inscriptions are still present in the room. Located where Tigris and Euphrates meet.
Lamech Islam: Tomb of Lamech, Mihtarlam, Afghanistan Seen here
Zechariah ben Jehoiada Tomb of Zechariah, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

Figures mentioned in the New Testament
Further information: New Testament

Figure mentioned exclusively in the Quran
Further information: Quran

See also

References
  1. "Mount Damāvand | mountain, Iran". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  2. Corbin, Henry (2009). "The configuration of the Temple of the Ka´bah.". Temple and Contemplation. London: Roudledge. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-710-30129-1. This is the hijr of Ishmael, or the house of Ishmael (Bayt Ismail), where he buried his mother Hagar and where he himself is buried.
  3. האבות, האמהות, הבנים והנביאים
  4. דן בן יעקב
  5. Pilgrimage in Palestine
  6. Goldman, Shalom (1995). "The Women of the Joseph Story". The Wiles of Women, The Wiles of Men. New York: SUNY Press. p. 115. ISBN 0-7914-2683-1.
  7. https://archive.is/20130108023424/http://www.syt.co.il/showKever.asp?id=337 אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן
  8. "Druze Revered Sites in Palestine: Jethro's Tomb". Archived from the original on 2006-05-10. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  9. נחלת אשר Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Prophet Joshua's Shrine, Tripadvisor, accessed June 2020
  11. "Otniel ben Knaz". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  12. Yeshiva.org.il - המשך ענין לבנון
  13. מקומות קדושים | קברי צדיקים - הגליל העליון ואצבע הגליל - גבול לבנון - ברק בן אבינעם - SYT
  14. שמשון הגיבור
  15. אלקנה
  16. מקומות קדושים | קברי צדיקים - ירושלים - צפון ירושלים - שמואל הנביא - SYT
  17. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor (2008). The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. Oxford Archaeological Guides. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0-19-923666-4. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  18. Hershel Shanks, Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 1995, p. 64.
  19. Kathleen Kenyon, Archaeology in the Holy Land (1985), p. 333.
  20. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor (2008). The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. Oxford Archaeological Guides. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-19-923666-4. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  21. "Tomb of Avner ben Ner (Abner) in Hebron". Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  22. Avraham, David (1999). In Zion and Jerusalem: The Itinerary of Rabbi Moses Basola 1512-1523. Jerusalem: C G Gundation. ISBN 978-9652229267.
  23. "URI (ORI) BEN SIMEON - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  24. Freedman, Warren. (1984) World Guide for the Jewish Traveler. NY: E.P. Dutton Inc
  25. עידו הנביא Archived 2008-03-30 at the Wayback Machine
  26. יהושפט
  27. AA, Daily Sabah with (2018-12-20). "Drop in dam water reveals submerged village, Elisha's tomb in SE Turkey's Diyarbakır". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  28. מקומות קדושים | קברי צדיקים - ירושלים - העיר העתיקה - מערת צדקיהו - SYT
  29. Passover pilgrimage to Ezekiel's tomb in Iraq
  30. http://www.johnberger.com/indexdead2.htm
  31. "הושע הנביא". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  32. מיכה הנביא
  33. Renovation- Al Qush Synagogue and the Tomb of Nahum Archived 2012-02-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  34. חבקוק הנביא Archived 2011-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
  35. Hukkok
  36. آلبوم عکسهای تویسرکان
  37. המשך ענין לבנון
  38. חגי הנביא
  39. Caiaphas’ Family Tomb Found, Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1992, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-08-14/news/9203130273_1_caiaphas-ossuaries-burial-cave.
  40. The Tomb of Caiaphas’ Unearthed?, The New York Times, August 16, 1992, Author Michael Specter https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/16/weekinreview/august-9-15-the-tomb-of-caiaphas-unearthed.html.
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