Almost Heaven
Well-Known Member
Visitors are not allowed to descend into the tomb itself and can only visit the exterior
An ancient tomb in Jerusalem prized for its archaeological and religious importance was reopened for visits Thursday by France, which owns it, after a dispute over access scuttled an earlier attempt.
The site known as the Tomb of the Kings in east Jerusalem can now be visited during set hours twice per week, but visitors must pre-register online and pay a 10-shekel fee ($3, 2.50 euros), the French consulate said.
Around 30 people -- the most allowed at one time due to the sensitivity of the site -- visited when the gates opened on Thursday morning, mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews who wanted to pray inside.
Many ultra-Orthodox Jews believe the tomb is the ancient burial site for Israel's great biblical kings, David and Solomon.
France had attempted to open the site to visitors in June after having kept it closed since 2010, but shuttered it again after a group of more than a dozen ultra-Orthodox tried to enter and pray despite not having signed up as requested, shoving toward the gate.
Before reopening the site, France sought guarantees from Israel it would not face legal challenges as well as commitments on how visits would be managed.
Visitors are not allowed to descend into the tomb itself and can only visit the exterior, which includes ritual baths and an ancient frieze above its entry. It remains unclear if the site will consistently remain open due to religious sensitivities from Jewish and Palestinian residents in the area.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/isra...ent-jerusalem-tomb-of-kings-david-and-solomon
An ancient tomb in Jerusalem prized for its archaeological and religious importance was reopened for visits Thursday by France, which owns it, after a dispute over access scuttled an earlier attempt.
The site known as the Tomb of the Kings in east Jerusalem can now be visited during set hours twice per week, but visitors must pre-register online and pay a 10-shekel fee ($3, 2.50 euros), the French consulate said.
Around 30 people -- the most allowed at one time due to the sensitivity of the site -- visited when the gates opened on Thursday morning, mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews who wanted to pray inside.
Many ultra-Orthodox Jews believe the tomb is the ancient burial site for Israel's great biblical kings, David and Solomon.
France had attempted to open the site to visitors in June after having kept it closed since 2010, but shuttered it again after a group of more than a dozen ultra-Orthodox tried to enter and pray despite not having signed up as requested, shoving toward the gate.
Before reopening the site, France sought guarantees from Israel it would not face legal challenges as well as commitments on how visits would be managed.
Visitors are not allowed to descend into the tomb itself and can only visit the exterior, which includes ritual baths and an ancient frieze above its entry. It remains unclear if the site will consistently remain open due to religious sensitivities from Jewish and Palestinian residents in the area.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/isra...ent-jerusalem-tomb-of-kings-david-and-solomon