Queen Esther: Iran or Bar'am?
Iranian authorities removed the sign, along with their recognition, from the burial site of Esther and Mordechai in Hamedan. Various sources suggest that Queen Esther is not buried there, and her remains were transferred to Israel.
- שמעון גווירץ
- פורסם י"א חשון התשע"ד
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Three years ago, it was reported that the Iranian government declared the tombs of Mordechai and Esther a national heritage site, entrusted to the government for its upkeep. "The burial site of Mordechai and Esther is one of the historical landmarks in our region and one of the country's ancient sites," senior Iranian officials stated.
Since then, the Iranian stance on the tombs has evidently shifted. The sign marking the area as an official pilgrimage site was removed, and many Iranian students took to the streets to protest against the tombs of Mordechai and Esther, whom they accuse of being responsible for the massacre of some 77,000 Iranians in one day, a day which Jews celebrate as Purim. They refer to this holiday as the "Festival of Iranian Slaughter."
It's worth noting that more extreme elements have even threatened to desecrate the tombs of Mordechai and Esther in response to excavations by Israel beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It's intriguing that individuals who deny the Holocaust, which occurred 60 years ago, find it appropriate to threaten Jewish graves with the claim that Iranians were murdered 2,000 years ago.
The book "Holy Places and Graves of the Righteous in Galilee," published by the Societies of the Tents of the Righteous about a year ago, presents researchers' evidence and sources suggesting that Queen Esther is not buried in Hamedan at all. Instead, her remains were brought to Israel by her son Cyrus, who buried her in the village of Bar'am in the Galilee.
It is important to note that Mordechai the Righteous is indeed buried in Hamedan, Iran.
According to the testimonies of pilgrims, the remains of Esther were interred in the village of Bar'am, at the entrance to the village from the south, within a rock—a cave with its mouth upwards, inside a vineyard, near and adjacent to the graves of Nachman Chatufa and his father, who are buried in two niches. Apparently, there was once a pile of stones with an oak tree beside the grave, as there was no access to the grave itself due to its depth, leading it to be called the 'Closed Cave.'
Pilgrims and sources about her burial place in Bar'am:
"We went to the village of Bar'am and found at the entrance of the city the grave of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, built like a large millstone with a column inside it. And above, a very beautiful synagogue (as mentioned within) exists, and there we found the doorstep of the study hall." (Travel Diary of Palestina)
"And from there (from Safed) I went by the Jordan River, and by the Jordan the grave of Yonatan ben Uziel, with a very large tree over it. And from there I went and saw the grave of Rabbi Yossi Dimyan, and the grave of Rabbi Nachman Chatufa. And from there I went and saw the grave of Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya... And from there I went to the Land of Ibal, and I saw one rock, inside which is the grave of Queen Esther, who instructed her son Cyrus to bring her there in her lifetime. And nearby, in another piece of land, the graves of Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair and the prophet Obadiah, by his still-standing and lovely study hall."(Letter from Rabbi Menachem ben Peretz HaCheveroni)
"In the village of Bar'am, Obadiah the prophet and Queen Esther are buried, and Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and Yair his father, and the hundred prophets, and Rabbi Nachman HaChatufa." (Handwritten by Ilan B'
"And nearby Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. Close by is Queen Esther, the mouth of the cave upwards and a large stone covering its mouth. Close by is a certain righteous man, some say Rabbi Nachman, some say Rabbi Yitzchak." (Territories of the Land of Israel)
"And there, to another side (from the prophet Obadiah), outside the city, the grave of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair blessed memory, with a large and high sign over his grave, with a stone pillar and a large tree shading over it. And next to it, within a closed garden, the grave of Rabbi Nachman his son blessed memory. And near there is a closed cave, the resting place of Queen Esther of blessed memory, where they placed her for burial." (Moscow Manuscript)
"And there, to another side (from the prophet Obadiah), outside the city, the grave of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair blessed memory, with a large and high sign over his grave, with a stone pillar and a large tree shading over it. And next to it, within a closed garden, the grave of Rabbi Nachman his son blessed memory. And near there is a closed cave, the resting place of Queen Esther of blessed memory, where they placed her for burial." (Moscow Manuscript)
"Somewhat distant from there (from Obadiah the prophet), Queen Esther is there, marked with a pile of stones and a robiro tree (oak) for a sign, and near it another tree with a pile of stones, marking the grave of Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair." (Rabbi Moshe Basola)
"To the south of the village, Rabbi Pinchas and Rabbi Nachman his son, with large trees over them. And there is the burial place of Queen Esther of blessed memory. It is one and a half parsahs from Safed. And on every Shushan Purim, a minyan goes from Safed to her grave, to read the Megillah and to eat, drink, and rejoice there. Near to her are Rabbi Yochanan Chatufa and Mar Zutra blessed memory, and on the sign (of Chatufa) is a stone designed like the caps worn by the women in this country." (Letter of the Lineage of the Fathers)
"Village of Bar'am, to the south of the village, is the burial of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair with a sign and Rabbi Nachman his son, and inside of it a vineyard is the grave of Queen Esther in a stone niche, and within it is Rabbi Yochanan Chatufa and Mar Zutra." (Lineage of the Righteous, with slight changes: Regions of the Land of Israel / The Holy Letter; Praises of Jerusalem; Memory in Jerusalem)"Village of Bar'am, here are buried Rabbi Nachman and Mar Zutra and Rabbi Yochanan Chatufa and Rabbi Pinchas and the Righteous Esther and the prophet Obadiah of blessed memory." (Letter of the Story of the Genealogy of the Righteous, with slight changes: Rabbi Moshe Chaim Kapsuto)
"Village of Bar'am, and there is the burial of Rabbi Pinchas and his son Rabbi Nachman, above them are cypress trees, and in the pomegranate orchard there is the burial of Queen Esther. To the west of the village is a ruined study hall, and at the entrance a shady tree." (These Are the Genealogies of the Righteous of Blessed Memory and Their Signs)
"Along the way to the left are buried Rabbi Pinchas and Mar Zutra. Opposite them in the vineyard is the resting place of the righteous Esther. On the right side of the path, Rabbi Yochanan Chatufa and his son Rabbi Nachman Chatufa are buried, each niche covered by a stone." (The Hands of Moshe)
"Obadiah within the village of Bar'am, and Nachman and ben Yair, and Esther who inspired the flowing." (Graves of the Fathers)
First published on the website of the Tents of the Righteous
