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Tzipori, Israel – An agreement struck between the Tiberias Magistrate’s Court and a Tzipori land-owner will allow the excavation of a tomb that may contain the remains of famed 3rd century Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to begin next month.
The work at the site, which features a clear inscription of the rabbi’s name on the lintel and reportedly contains a terra cotta sarcophagus, may trigger significant opposition throughout the religious community, experts and religious authorities said today.
“This is an important site,” Antiquities Authority director Dr. Uzi Dahari, who personally holds the license to the dig, told The Jerusalem Post after the court’s decision. “We don’t know what’s in there yet, but it could be very, very, significant. It may be Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, but it’s impossible to know for sure until we dig.”
Levi was an important Talmudic rabbi mentioned in the Gemara. It is likely that excavation of the grave, which is considered by some to be a ‘sanctuary’ containing the soul of the deceased, will prompt religious leaders in Jerusalem to stage protests to prevent its desecration, Prof. Zeev Gries, who teaches in the Jewish Thought Department at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, said on Tuesday.
“Maybe they will make one or another demonstration, said Gries referring to haredi leaders in the capital. “It’s very common – this is what they do in these cases. Due to Jewish mystical tradition, a grave is a place where the soul of the deceased is supposed to reside. The soul is irritated once the grave is open, according to some mystical tradition.”
Mitch Pilcer, who discovered the grave about six months ago, said rabbis from the haredi community in Jerusalem have instructed him to block the Antiquities Authority from excavating the grave.
While rabbis who had contacted Pilcer would not speak to the Post on the record, they acknowledged they had spoken to him and told the Post on condition of anonymity that they believe the grave, like all Jewish graves, should be left intact.
Pilcer, who agrees that the grave should not be opened, said that he kept quiet on the discovery in part because he feared that his bed and breakfast located on a peaceful hill in Tzipori would be overrun by demonstrators from Jerusalem. He also built a security barrier around the site before contacting the Antiquities Authority.
But the authority alleged, in a statement to the Post on Sunday, that Pilcer had damaged the site by constructing the barrier around it and continuing construction on nearby projects.
“Work in this area has been carried out without approval by the Antiquities Authority as required by court orders,” reads the statement. “Damage was caused to the cave and to the archeological site.”
After Pilcer informed the authority of his discovery, the department turned to a magistrate in Kiryat Shmona, and obtained an injunction to prevent Pilcer from doing further work on adjacent property, including work on the interior of a new cabin several meters from the grave.
“We went to court to request a temporary injunction to prohibit the holder of the ground from carrying out work at the location,” reads the authority’s statement.
But both Pilcer and Mordechai Aviam, the director of the Institute for Galilean Archeology at Kinneret College, maintain that the site was not damaged by either the barrier Pilcer built or the nearly complete building nearby.
“The grave is in fact safer than it was,” said Aviam. “He approached it in a correct way and I don’t know why they are going after him.”
Pilcer, who is also the head of the Tzipori security committee, said he discovered the grave while pulling rocks, which he was using for construction, out of a hillside adjacent to the bed and breakfast’s swimming pool.
While digging through the mud he discovered a wall and stone door bearing inscriptions in hard rock with the name of the famous rabbi and the name of the town, Tzipori.
Pilcer said the door to the structure was ajar, and after looking inside he immediately re-covered the site with dirt and built an iron fence around the structure to protect it.
A terra cotta sarcophagus was clearly visible lying in mud inside the grave, said Pilcer.
If the grave does belong to Levi, the presence of a sarcophagus could complicate the issue for some haredim who believe Levi never died because of his attentiveness to the Torah.
“According to Talmudic tradition he rose to heaven with the righteous,” Aviam wrote in a press release concerning the discovery.
Aviam, however, said he is not convinced the grave belonged to the rabbi.
The Antiquities Authority filed suit against Pilcer to force him to allow them to excavate the grave. The court ordered Pilcer and the authority to reach an agreement, and advised Pilcer to allow the authority to excavate.
Dahari, meanwhile, said that as a result of the agreement, excavation may begin in September and will be conducted in accordance with Halacha and in conjunction with the appropriate religious authorities.
how about we open the graves of gries relatives and see how he feels about it being “mystical”
It sounds like Pilcer acted appropriately and took proper actions to protect the site while continuing the work on his B&B since it is his parnassah and takes priority. In EY yisroel its impossible to dig almost anywhere and not find some bones. In this case, the “politics” among different groups seems to be operative………….
I would be VERY careful before starting up with an Amora.
Not a good idea to mess with R’ Yehusua Ben Levi. This great Tzadik was close to the league of the Rashbi. Aish Oichla Hu.
Look at the chutzpah they know its wrong they know there’s going to be demonstrations by the chareidim and I’m telling you this is going to be massive. what we see now in jerusalem will be a joke since everybody who still believes in Judaism understands how holly these sites are and will come out to oppose this cynical acts. I just can’t wait how all of the self hating jews here on this form will come here and cry chillul hashem this zionizts had proven to undermined judaism whenever possible and if some god fearing yiden come out and protest that’s where they find the chillul hashem. How can it be a bigger chillul hashem when so called jews support chillul shabos? How can it be a bigger chillul hashem when so called jews support digging up the holiest we ever had? he?
I, personally, would like to see if it is truly R’ Yeshu B levi.
1) I would like it to be proven, not just hersey, that Tzaddkim don’t disintergrate.
2) For all the Hebe Gebes, I would like to see if something terrible happens to these people who try to open the grave.
3)To see if he really went to Shomayim.
These things can streangthing ones Emunah.
Please Hashem, Have mercy on your servant!
Yemoch shemum vezichrum. Look how far they are went. Always when they found kvurim they used to say its from christians or from arab, now they simply without any bishe talk about digging out a kever of an omoire, shimi shumoyim. We have to gather together “beachdis” all chareidim and show them such protests that they nver ever saw before. We’ll show them that klal yisruel is still united you can throw us in your jails, torture us, we’re used to that, we went thru all this all the years from the goiyim, now we’re ready for that leider from our brothers. Boishnu mikul um.
If it says “Hakappar” on the grave, it’s probably not RYBL that we know about. But apparently, whoever it was did have semicha.
The court has issued its ruling and the matter is closed. Why is there still any debate since the authorities have taken control of the site
The Courts of the Unbelievers will never prevail Watch This Holy, Holy Kever shall remain untouched . Woe to the Hand that is raised aginst this G-dly Zadik!!
Gal shel atzamos that’s what will become of him and Careful watch out :don’t be their supporter!
Presumably the Antiquities Authority which includes rabbinical advisors knows of the chazal who claim that the physical remains of the Rav Levi don’t exist since he went directly to Shamayim and thats why they don’t think any special protections are needed for this kever and digging should be allowed. The authority and the courts have reviewed the facts and hopefully their review takes account of the traditional beliefs. I think some of the postings here go a bit too far in the mystical beliefs.
Whether it is or is not RYBL, is not really the issue. What is an issue, is the chutzpa of the courts and antiquities authority to condemn a fellow who tried to protect the grave. What’s worse, is that HE brought the issue up to them and it’s on HIS property. He could (and should) have kept quiet.
Playing around with graves is highly NOT recommended. Whoever it is, was buried there and that is HIS place. The antiquities authority has some nerve declaring that they have rights to the place. I don’t care what the LAW is in Israel — let’s not forget it was also LAW to uproot the communities of Gush Katif in return for more rockets.
These crooked judges and laws will soon be uprooted – Hashiva Shoftenu KeBarishona!!!!
If he did not go up to shamayim b’guf, I wouldent want to be playing around with his kever.. keep in mind that eliyahu hanavi took rabbi yehoshua ben levi around..
Reply to Anon: The Antiquities Authority is demanding to excavate this site, not the B&B owner. He wanted to leave it alone like a decent human being. These grave robbing animals want to make a circus!
I am just wondering why everybody is attacking #2 . He didn’t call it a Buba Meisah (unless part of his comment was erased) he jsaid B&B which is short fot Bed & Breakfast. He was reffering to what the person does for a living. Can someone please explain to me why everybody is attacking him?