Stepping inside the Nicanor Tomb feels like stepping back in time. You are standing in a complex of rooms skillfully carved out of soft limestone. It was once a bustling place of burial and remembrance. The Nicanor Tomb is located on Mount Scopus. You can still picture the families gathering here to say goodbye to loved ones.
It is one of Jerusalem’s most elaborate burial complexes from the Second Temple period. The story of the Nicanor Tomb begins with Nicanor of Alexandria. He was a wealthy man who donated the bronze doors for the Court of the Women at the Second Temple in Jerusalem. His generosity is also inscribed in Greek on his ossuary.
Today, you can see replicas of the ossuaries. But back then, it was a grand affair, filled with ornate inscriptions and geometric patterns. One of the ossuaries even has a bilingual inscription: Greek and Hebrew. The Nicanor Tomb was rediscovered in 1902.
In the years after its discovery, the tomb was used to rebury the remains of Leon Pinsker. In 1941, Menachem Ussishkin was buried there too. Both were famous Zionists. The Nicanor Tomb became a reminder of the past and a symbol of the future. Today, it is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the Hebrew University campus. Stepping out of the Nicanor Tomb, you can’t help but feel connected to the enduring legacy of this remarkable man.