Biblical patriarch Joseph, amid pressure from within his own cabinet to end attacks against Jewish religious sites, BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, February 25.
"We are talking about the tomb of one of the fathers of our nation," Construction and Housing Minister Natan Sharansky told The Jerusalem Post newspaper about the destruction of the grave in Nablus, one of the largest Palestinian towns.
"I do not know who should be criticized more here, those who destroyed it, or ourselves for ignoring it," he said. Initial reports about the destruction already emerged at the beginning of the Palestinian uprising in 2000, but attacks have apparently continued.
"I can only imagine for a second that, if God forbid, one of the graves of the founders of Islam would be damaged, the Muslims would be on the barricades and the United Nations would make one resolution after another and they would be correct in doing so," Sharansky added.
UNDER PRESSURE
Prime Minister Sharon, already under pressure from hardline politicians to end secret peace negotiations with Palestinians, agreed that "the destruction of the grave of the Biblical patriarch [Joseph], is a serious matter," said his spokesman Ra’anan Gissin.
Because of its sensitive location the tomb has been off-limits to Jews for months, but the government "should still be doing all it can to safeguard the site," Sharansky said.
However the Israeli Defence Forces stressed they had no plans to secure or guard the site in Nablus, apparently amid concern that this could fuel further tensions in the troubled region, and undermine peace talks.
JEWISH TRADITION
According to Jewish tradition, Joseph, the most beloved of his father’s twelve sons, was buried in the biblical town of Shechem, which is near the present-day city of Nablus.
The Bible reports in Genesis 37 -50 that Joseph lived most of his life in in neighboring Egypt , where he arrived after his brothers abandoned him to die in a pit before selling him into slavery.
He was imprisoned in Egypt after being falsely accused. But after interpreting the Pharoah’s dream, Joseph became vice-regent in Egypt and saved his family with all Egyptians from starvation through a 7 year famine, the Bible says.
BONES CARRIED
His bones were later carried back to what is now known as Nablus, Jewish and Biblical scholars say. Yet some archaeologists believe the site is only a few centuries old and may contain the remains of a Muslim sheikh named Yossef.
Palestinians have therefore reportedly tried to build a mosque on the site, despite strong opposition from Israel.
"Since the founding of the State in 1948 – Israel has maintained a strong tradition of preserving and respecting the religious sites of all faiths represented in the land," said the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.
