The work of famous rabbis and miracle workers is evident throughout the Holy Land, yet in no other region one finds as many tombs and sites of pilgrimage as in the Galilee. Pilgrims travel to tombs of rabbinical healers and miracle workers to pray for health, happiness or for finding love; yearly celebrations mark the anniversaries of the rabbis’ deaths.

The tombs themselves and visiting pilgrims reciting psalms and prayers can provide wonderful images for documentary teams researching sites of healing and miracles for filming in Israel, and particularly sites from the days of Jesus and the destruction of the Second Temple period. We can highly recommend the following list of tombs as film locations in Israel. Filming can be arranged in accordance with the tombs’ authorities.

One of the most famous tombs in the Galilee is the tomb of Yonatan ben Uziel. He was a famous disciple of the famed Second Temple era Rabbi Hillel. Over the centuries the belief developed that if you were to pray at his tomb you would find your soul-mate within a short period of time. Ironically, the history books report that he died as a lonely bachelor and at young age. The tomb is located within short distance of Rosh Pina and it draws a large number of visitors each year, especially in spring. In line with the Jewish Orthodox tradition, women and men pray separately in the white-domed building. Some pilgrims, who do not seem to trust the rabbi’s heavenly support, leave small notes with phone numbers and email addresses to speed up the matchmaking process.

Just a few kilometers away one finds the tomb of Honi Hame’agel - Honi the circle drawer tomb. It is located on the outskirts of a small town called Khatsor HaGalilit at the foot of the Naftali Mountains. Honi is cherished as a miracle worker who helped the land during a period of great draught. The Talmud tells us that Honi drew a circle, sat in the middle and told God he would not move until it started to rain. God then sent so much rain that Honi prayed again in order to stop the rain. Pilgrims can be seen circumnavigating the round plaza reciting prayers and psalms. It is believed that Honi attends to prayers of all needs. The tomb is particular popular amongst North African Jewish communities.

Another, much smaller and less frequented, but popular tomb is the one of Hanina Ben Dosa. This first century Galilean Rabbi was a very religious man who observed the religious rules meticulously. Hanina ben Dosa was a man of truth, a respected scholar and miracle worker. He is said to have triggered many miracles through his devotion and repeated prayers. The small tomb is situated in the Arabic village of Arabe, about 35 kilometers from Nazareth and about 30 kilometers from Tiberias. A magnificent tree stretches its branches over the tombs and pilgrims visit to contemplate and pray.

The tomb of another famous rabbi is located in Meron. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai lived in the region during the Roman period after the destruction of the Second Temple. He is one of the eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva, and the acclaimed author of Zohar (The Brightness) one of Judaism’s best known works of its mystical branch, Kabbalah. He acquired a reputation as a miracle worker and once even exorcised a demon from an emperor’s daughter. His death is celebrated on Yom Hillula, a day of great celebration where thousands of people gather outside his tomb with torches, songs and feasting. During this celebration, Jewish Orthodox also exercise the ritual of cutting three year old boys’ hair the first time and throwing it into the fire for good luck.

The tomb of Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph is the fifth site in the Galilee, located just outside the city of Tiberias. Rabbi Akiva was the spiritual leader of the Bar Kochba revolt sixty years after the destruction of the second temple. Although he was originally just a poor uneducated shepherd, he received a calling to study the torah for 24 years; a devotion that was supported by his wife Rachel who had married him against her father’s will. He was stoned to death by the Romans for his continuous Torah teachings. At the time of the Bar Kochba revolt he had 24,000 students behind him, of whom many died of a plague during the uprising. Rabbi Akiva is one of the most essential and central contributors to the Mishnah and the Midrash Halakah and is referred to as the godfather of rabbinical Judaism. The tomb is located on the mountain slopes of the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood, overlooking Tiberias and the Kinneret. It has been a popular pilgrim site since the Middle Ages.

For more information on filming in Israel and our Production Services in Israel, please contact Biblical Productions at info@biblicalproductions.comor Sharon Schaveet at +972 (0)52 479 2200.