Ancient Jewish Cemetery in Jerusalem

For any religious Jew, it is considered a great honor to be buried in this ancient cemetery, for its sanctity is determined by its immediate proximity to the Kidron Valley and the Temple Mount. And as it is said in the Book of the prophet Zechariah, at the end of days the Messiah will ascend the Mount of Olives and from there, at the sound of Ezekiel's trumpet, the resurrection of the dead will begin. And accordingly, those buried nearby will rise first. It is no wonder that a place in this cemetery costs as much as a decent apartment in Moscow.

Burials appeared here several thousand years ago, back in the era of the First Temple, as evidenced by the catacombs between and beneath the houses of the Arab quarter of Silwan or Shiloah. In the era of the Second Temple, the cemetery shifted to the north, covering the slopes of the Mount of Olives.

At present, there are at least 150 000 graves on the mountain, some of which are attributed to Old Testament figures. For example, the Tomb of Absalom — the third son of David, who rebelled against his father.

Jerusalem is often called the city of three religions. And indeed, there is hardly another place in the world where literally every square centimeter would be so revered by believers. You should definitely walk through the Holy Land accompanied by someone knowledgeable, who can point out what to pay attention to. However, the services of a professional guide are sometimes expensive, and therefore we recommend paying attention to the audio guide to Jerusalem. You will find it in the Ever.Travel mobile app and will be able to download tours of Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall, or the Temple Mount, paying only 1 dollar for each! A more budget-friendly option for an interesting and thoughtful introduction to Jerusalem is probably hard to find.

However, you can learn almost all the same things absolutely free of charge. Plan your trip using the Jerusalem attractions map. Mark the places on it that you would like to see, and then sync them with the Ever.Travel app for your smartphone. This way, your personal city guide will always be at hand. And to make it easier for you to get your bearings, use ready-made walking routes: