| Tomb of Aaron | |
|---|---|
 Aaron's tomb on Jabal Hārūn inPetra | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | |
| Governing body | Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority[dubious –discuss] |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Jabal Hārūn, nearPetra,Ma'an Governorate |
| Country | Jordan |
  Location of the tomb inJordan | |
 Interactive map of Tomb of Aaron | |
| Coordinates | 30°19′01″N35°24′23″E / 30.31697°N 35.40636°E /30.31697; 35.40636 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | |
| Founder | Sultanal-Nasir Muhammad (last full reconstruction) |
| Completed | 719AH (1319/1320 CE)(current building) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Width | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Dome | One |
| Inscriptions | Mamluk-period dedicatory inscriptions; Jewish and Greek inscriptions left by pilgrims |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Elevation | 1,350 m (4,429 ft)[1] |
| Website | |
| visitpetra | |
TheTomb of Aaron is the purported burial site ofAaron, the brother ofMoses, according toJewish,Christian, and localMuslim traditions. The site is marked by a smallmosque serving as ashrine to the Muslim prophetHaroun (Aaron), located at the summit ofJabal Hārūn ('Mount Aaron') at an altitude of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft), the highest point nearPetra,[2] in theMa'an Governorate ofJordan.
There are two different places named in theTorah as Aaron's place of death and burial,Mount Hor andMoseroth (also known as Mosera). Additionally, there are different interpretations for the location of each of the two. Jews have considered the mountain near Petra as the biblical Mount Hor since, at least, the time ofJosephus.[3] Christians have adopted this identification since the Byzantine period and had built amonastery serving as a pilgrimage centre there. The local Muslim tradition places Aaron's tomb at the same site, although there is at least one other local tradition locating it inSinai. There used to be a rich repertoire of general and local Muslim legends regarding Aaron's tomb.[4] The current building was completed during theMamluk period at the beginning of the 14th centuryCE.
Around 1100CE,Baldwin I,Crusaderking of Jerusalem, visited the monastery with his entourage.[5]
The current building was completed during the Mamluk period at the beginning of the 14th century CE.[6] In the early 20th century, it was documented that theBedul tribe made an annual pilgrimage to the Tomb of Aaron, while theLiyathnah tribe visited it twice a year.[7]
The shrine consists of a room, 10 by 8 metres (33 by 26 ft), made ofsandstone, covered by a white dome, and a small courtyard. Above the door of the shrine is the date of its renewal, in 719AH (1319/1320 CE), by Sultanal-Nasir Muhammad, son ofQalawun.[8] The shrine was adopted as sacred for Islam from the time of theMuslim conquests in the 7th century AH, continuing its veneration that dated from the times of theNabateans of Petra and the ancient Jews before them.
Ruins of a Christian monastery from the Byzantine period are close by the summit.[9]
ThePentateuch gives two accounts of Aaron's death.
TheBook of Numbers (Chapter 20)[10] gives a detailed statement to the effect that, soon after the incident atMeribah (Kadesh), whenMoses and Aaron showed impatience by bringing water out of a rock to quench the thirst of the people after God commanded them to speak to the rock, Aaron, his sonEleazar, and Moses ascended Mount Hor, on the edge of the borders ofEdom. There, Moses stripped Aaron of his priestly garments and gave them to Eleazar. Aaron died and was buried on the summit of the mountain, and the people mourned for him thirty days.[11][12]
Mount Hor is usually associated with the mountain near Petra in Jordan, known inArabic as Jabal Hārūn (Aaron's Mountain), upon the summit of which a mosque was built in the 14th century.[13][14]Josephus andEusebius both describe its location above the city of Petra.
The other account is found in theBook of Deuteronomy, where Moses is reported as saying that Aaron died at Moseroth (also known as Mosera) and was buried there.[15] Mosera is sometimes identified with el-Tayibeh, a small fountain at the bottom of the pass leading to the ascent of Jebel Harun. However others are of the opinion that the location of Mosera cannot be here, since the itinerary inNumbers 33:31–37 records seven stages between Mosera and Mount Hor.[16] For similar reasons, others still doubt that Mount Hor can in reality be identified with Jabal Hārūn.[17]
The site at Jabal Hārūn is occasionally visited by both Jewish pilgrims and Muslims.[18]
Jordanian authorities regard the Tomb of Aaron as a mosque and forbid Jewish prayer services at the site. In August 2019, a group of Israeli tourists shared a video of themselves dancing with aTorah scroll at the site. Authorities then confiscated religious items from the group and closed the summit to foreign tour groups that do not have permission to visit from theAwqaf Ministry.[19] Unrestricted access to the tomb was restored in December.[20] Israel has a regulated tourism mechanism directly with the Jordanian government.[21]
Media related toTomb of Aaron at Wikimedia Commons
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| Tombs of biblical figures |
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