The Most Prestigious Jewish Cemetery in the World
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The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the world. It stretches across the slopes of the Mount of Olives, from its peak to the Kidron valley, and hosts tens of thousands of dead. The importance of the cemetery is great and many known dignitaries are buried there, including Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, the driving force behind the revival of the Hebrew language Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the Nobel prize winner writer Shai Agnon, and others.
The burial on the Mount of Olives goes back to the days of the First Temple. According to the Midrash, the resurrection of the dead that will take place at the Judgment Day will begin on the Mount of Olives and the Jews buried there will be the first to rise from the grave and gain eternal life, so since ancient times the place has been considered a sought-after burial place. Throughout the generations, bags with dirt from the Mount of Olives were sent to Jewish communities in the diaspora, and the dirt was sprinkled on the graves or shrouds of the deceased.
In the lower part of the cemetery there is a cluster of magnificent burial structures located in the Kidron valley, on the western slopes of the Mount of Olives. The name "Kidron River Monumental Tombs" refers to the four most recognizable structures - Jehoshaphat's Cave, Tomb of Avshalom, Sons of Hezir Tomb and Tomb of Zechariah.
During the Jordanian rule, after the War of Independence in 1948 and until the conquest of Jerusalem in the Six Day War in 1967, the cemetery suffered systematic destruction, and many tombstones were displaced and used for paving and construction.
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
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