Fundamentally Freund: Jewish unity and Joseph’s Tomb

Last week, in the most unlikely of places, I came face to face with the power of Jewish unity. It was well after midnight when the convoy of heavily-guarded Israeli cars and buses began the short drive through the deserted streets of Shechem (Nablus).

Posted along the way were young men in IDF uniforms, keeping a watchful eye on the hundreds of Jews who were braving the late hour and our hostile neighbors to visit an ancient Jewish holy site in the heart of Palestinian-controlled territory.

For years, I had wanted to visit Joseph’s Tomb, the burial place of one of our greatest Biblical forbears and one of Israel’s premier sites of religious, historical and archaeological significance. Indeed, the late Dr. Zvi Ilan, one of Israel’s foremost archeologists, described Joseph’s Tomb as “one of the tombs whose location is known with the utmost degree of certainty and is based on continuous documentation since Biblical times” (Tombs of the Righteous in the Land of Israel, p. 365).

According to the Book of Joshua (24:32), “The bones of Joseph which the Children of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that had been purchased by Jacob.” Ancient rabbinic texts such as the Midrash mention the site, as did the early Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, who visited it nearly 1,700 years ago. Arab geographers, medieval Jewish pilgrims, Samaritan historians and even 19th-century British cartographers all concur regarding Joseph’s Tomb and its location.

Twice in Jewish history, Joseph was forsaken by his brothers and handed over to foreigners. The first time was in the Biblical story, when he was tossed into a pit and sold to traveling merchants. The second time was in October 2000, when his tomb was surrendered to Palestinian rioters.

What else can anybody say?

Abraham, outright owner of the entirety of that part of the fertile crescent, still paid too much to the temporary occupiers to purchase a bundle of rights over the the "Cave of Machpelah."

With all respect to Joseph, whose bones were brought up back out of Egypt with the Exodus, he was a late comer to this most ancient of family plots.

Sarah was first, and then Abraham, and eventually Issac and Joseph's father "Israel" (nee, "Jacob"). It's a respectable plot of ground, the temporary resting spot of the Earthly-remains of other well-known personalities.

You can count on it. Wherever the God of Abraham touches, or causes there to be a memorial in this present world, count on the devil immediately camping out all over the top of it.

It's hard to imagine why Judah would be willing to surrender the Tomb of the Patriarchs to the heirs of Nazi Germany, the followers of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a.k.a., the Arab-variety of "Palestinians."

It doesn't help those of us who support latter-day Israel when so many present Israelis seem to place as little (or less) value on their heritage as do their enemies.

FYI, the Tomb of the Patriarchs at the Cave of Machpelah is in Hebron, while the Tomb of Joseph is in Shechem (Nablus), two separate locations, both in the so-called West Bank. That said, I agree that it is hard to understand why Israel left control of both sites to the PA. You saw what the Palestinians did to the Tomb of Joseph, didn't you?

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