| Ezekiel's Tomb | |
|---|---|
| |
 The conical dome of the tomb | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation |
|
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mausoleum |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Al-Kifl |
| Country | Iraq |
  Location of the tomb inIraq | |
 Interactive map of Ezekiel's Tomb | |
| Administration | Special Secretariat for the Shrine of the Prophet Dhel-Kifl and Annukhailiah Historical Mosque |
| Coordinates | 32°13′36″N44°22′02″E / 32.22676°N 44.36716°E /32.22676; 44.36716 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Muqarnas |
| Established |
|
| Specifications | |
| Height (max) | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Spire | One:Ezekiel |
| Site area | 54.06 m2 (581.9 sq ft) |
| Website | |
| alnukhailah | |
| [1][2] | |
Ezekiel's Tomb (Hebrew:קבר יחזקאל הנביא;Arabic:مرقد ذو الكفل) is amausoleum, located next to the site of theNukhailah Mosque, inal-Kifl, in thedistrict of al-Hillah, in the province ofBabylon,Iraq. The tomb is revered byJews as the resting place ofEzekiel, anIsraelite prophet who was deported from theKingdom of Judah during theBabylonian captivity and serves as the eponymous protagonist of theBook of Ezekiel in theHebrew Bible. Historically, it is the oldest and most important Jewish site inMesopotamia.[3]
The Jewish presence at Ezekiel's Tomb has greatly diminished since theJewish exodus from Iraq in the 1950s, shortly after the beginning of theArab–Israeli conflict. The larger complex has been extensively redeveloped since the2003 invasion of Iraq; it is widely regarded byMuslims to be the resting place ofDhul-Kifl, an unknownIslamic prophet who is often identified with Ezekiel, and work was reportedly underway to convert the site's disusedsynagogue into amosque.
A tradition mentioned byBenjamin of Tudela recounts thatJeconiah, the former king of Judah, with the help of the Jews had built a settlement in the area after he was released from imprisonment byAmel-Marduk. Around this time, the Abrahamic prophet Ezekiel passed away and was buried in a cave named the "Cave of Eliyahu" (named after theCave of Eliyahu) whereShem andArpachshad, ancestors ofAbraham, were also claimed to have been buried.[4] Benjamin also says that the tomb, including its dome, was built by Jeconiah upon Ezekiel's death.[5]
According to the 8th-century rabbinical textPirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer, Ezekiel was buried inBabylonia and mention of his tomb is first made by the 10th-century Jewish sageSherira Gaon.[6] The tomb, alongside the town its located in, was later mentioned byAbbasid Muslim scholarYaqut al-Hamawi in hisKitāb Mu'jam al-Buldān, saying it was five hours away from Hillah. He noted that the town also contained theNukhailah Mosque and that the tomb of Ezekiel also containedBaruch ben Neriah and other Jewish figures.[4]
The German-Jewish medieval explorerPetachiah reported in around 1180 that the Jews held the keys to the site and relates that between 60,000 and 80,000 Jews converged on the tomb during the week ofSukkot. He documents that the Abbasid Caliphs respected the site and that Arab merchants typically came to the town to sell their goods. He also noted pilgrims that came from Iraq andIran, who stopped by for praying. He also stated that pilgrims to the site believed bringing votive deposits would give them children, and give them prolific animals to cultivate.[7] Benjamin of Tudela mentioned that there were several synagogues at the location and noted that Muslim notables also frequented the site to pray.[8]
Until the mid-20th century, over 5,000 Jews used to come to the tomb from Baghdad and other major cities duringPassover.[9][10] During this period, the tomb walls contained various inscriptions, including three poems honoring various donors. An adjoining room contained five tombs said to belong to fiveRabbis who transmitted and wrote theBabylonian Talmud. Another room was referred to as "Cave of Eliyahu" and a third room contained the tombs belonging to Baghdad's prominent Daniel family, who were custodians of the site.[11] AHebrew plaque above the doorway dating from 1810 read:
This is the tomb of our master Ezekiel the Prophet, son ofBuzi theKohen, may his merit shield us and allIsrael. Amen.[12]
By the time ofOttoman imperial rule, the significance had faded. The diminishing of its importance also led Turkish inhabitants to disagree with the inhabitants over the ownership of the Tomb of Ezekiel and its affiliation with the Jews. Causing many Jews to submit complaints to the authorities.[13] In 1860, Ottoman viceroy of theBaghdad vilayet, Mustafa Nuri Pasha, attempted to stir controversy by claiming that the site belonged to Muslims only due to having aminaret. Disregarding that the site was historically significant and sacred to both Jews and Muslims.[14] TheBritish consul inBaghdad attempted to resolve the issue of ownership and wrote that the Jews claimed that "the tomb has been in their possession for upwards of 2,000 years and that their right to it has never before been questioned".[15] Upon the intervention of theAnglo-Jewish Association, an Ottoman government emissary fromIstanbul decided in favor of the Jewish claim.[11][16] At the turn of the 20th century, theGazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia stated that the tomb is "more venerated by Jews than it is byMuhammadans."[17]
The dating of the current structure's construction is unknown, the earliest agreed archeological date of the construction of the modern structure is 1316 which coincides with the construction of the mosque. The tomb begins with a rectangular hall containing four longitude niches, each akin to aniwan. Those arches are vaulted withbarrel vaults ending in pointed arches that join together in four to form a circular structure in which themuqarnas are held. These muqarnas are part of the larger conical dome that provides the first hall above the shrine and adjacent tombs, dedicated to other Jewish figures, that are also located in the shrine.[18] There is a door in the center of the western hall, dating back to the Mongol period, that leads to the shrine and connects it to the prayer hall, decorated with medievalIslamic floral designs.[19]
The conical dome's interior is also decorated with medieval Islamic floral designs accompanied byancient Hebrew inscription from theTorah beneath it in a circular band. Between both are three windows. The dome is conical in shape, it contains 10 layers of muqarnas excluding the dome's tiny covering. Each layer is composed of an arcade of pointed arches that are flat on their interiors. The sixth layer, however, consists of simplesquinches also topped with pointed arches.[19] The conical dome of the tomb is similar to that of the many Abbasid era mausoleums around Iraq, such as thetomb of Zumurrud Khatun, thetomb of Umar Suhrawardi, and thetomb of Imam Hasan of Basra.[20]
Azarih covers the grave of Ezekiel, with a green Arabic textile wishing peace upon the prophet. In the mosque section of the shrine are four tombs of the companions of the Abrahamic prophetJeremiah, including Baruch, credited to be the author of theBook of Baruch.[21]
After the fall of Iraqi presidentSaddam Hussein in 2003, the new Iraqi authorities redeveloped the tomb complex and converted the old synagoguesahn into an area forMuslim prayer. Some Hebrew-language Jewish inscriptions from the tomb chamber were removed and replaced withQuranic verses.[22] The site's status was reportedly protected while under Saddam Hussein's regime.[23] In 2020, it was reported that Iraqi authorities were transforming the synagogue at Ezekiel's Tomb into a mosque.[24]
Among the dozens of shrines shown to our travellers, one was outstanding in its privileged status – the shrine of the prophet Ezekiel. […] Although our reporters knew about other important shrines, it would seems that Ezekiel's was the principle one.
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