KEVER NEBI SHMUEL/ NEBI SAMWIL/THE TOMB OF PROPHET SAMUEL

Located 5 km north of Jerusalem on a hill (908 meter above sea level), Nebi Samwil is the traditional site for the Tomb of Biblical Prophet Samuel/Shmuel. The site is revered by both Jews and Muslims. Tradition associates Nebi Samwil with biblical Ramah, the burial place of the prophet Samuel (I Samuel 25:1; 28:3). However, modern studies identify Nebi Samwil with biblical Mitzpa (Joshua 18:26, Judges 21:1-8, Jeremiah 41:1-10; Nehemiah 3:7, 19; I Maccabees 3:46). Others identify the location with Biblical Gibeon where the tabernacle stood and King Solomon offered sacrifices (1 Chronicles 21:29 and 1 Kings 3:4).

Comprehensive excavations were conducted at Nebi Samwil from 1992 to 2003. The site has a rich history to share from the First Temple (8th-7th centuries BC); Persian (6th-4th centuries BC); Hellenistic (2nd-1st centuries BC); Byzantine (5th-7th centuries AD); Early Arab (7th–10th centuries AD) and Crusader (11th-12 th centuries AD) periods. In the early 5th Century, a monastery was built at Nebi Samwil in honor of the Prophet Samuel by Byzantine Christians and it continued to exist until the Early Arab period. When Crusaders invaded the Holy Land, they had their first glimpse of Jerusalem (7th July, 1099) from Nebi Samwil. They called the hill Mons Gaudii (Mountain of Joy). The Crusaders completely destroyed the early Byzantine monastery and built a fortress to protect Jerusalem from Muslim raids. They also constructed a church inside the fortress in 1157 over the traditional tomb of the prophet Samuel.

Later, the Crusader fortress was destroyed completely in 1187, by Muslims under the command of Saladin. In the 15th century, Jews built a synagogue on the remains of this Crusader church. Today, a 1730 built mosque stands on the central part of the Crusader church. Most of the excavated remains you see here are from Crusader periods. The site also has been a battlefield during the British conquest of Palestine (1917) and later Arab-Israeli conflicts (1948 and 1967). Today, both Jewish and Muslim prayers are held at the tomb. The tomb is located in an underground chamber where a small synagogue is located. Many religious Jews visit the tomb on the 28th of Iyar, the anniversary of Samuel the Prophet's death.