Tomb of Lazarus

About Tomb of Lazarus

Place of pilgrimage

The Tomb of Lazarus is a Christian pilgrimage site in the town of al-Eizariya, east of Al-Quds in Palestine, on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives about 2.4 km beyond the city limits. The town takes its name from Lazarus himself: it is the biblical Bethany, where the Gospel of John records that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead four days after his burial, one of his most famous miracles. The tomb is cut into the rock and reached by a narrow stone stair that descends to two small underground chambers. Around it three places of worship stand side by side: the Greek Orthodox church, the adjoining al-Uzair mosque, which carries the Arabic name of Lazarus and is visited by Muslims who honour the site, and the modern Catholic church built over the remains of earlier Byzantine and Crusader churches. This closeness makes al-Eizariya a living example of Muslims and Christians sharing reverence for the figures of scripture. The town itself is a busy Palestinian community with its own markets and restaurants, and a visit to the tomb draws the traveller into everyday life away from the usual tourist circuit inside the walls.

Where:

Jerusalem, Palestine