Ancient Jewish Cemetery in Jerusalem

For any religious Jew, it is considered a great honor to be buried in this ancient cemetery, for its holiness 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. Accordingly, those buried nearby will be the first to rise. It is not surprising 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 northward, 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. Walking through the Holy Land should certainly be done in the company of someone knowledgeable, who can point out what to pay attention to. However, the services of a professional tour guide are sometimes quite expensive, and so we recommend paying attention to the Jerusalem audio guide. You will find it in the Ever.Travel mobile app and will be able to download tours of the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall, or the Temple Mount, paying only 1 dollar for each! It is probably hard to find a more budget-friendly option for an interesting and thoughtful introduction to Jerusalem.

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