October 7, 2000 Terrorists destroy Tomb of Joseph by Nablus

Tomb of Joseph at Nablus (ancient Shechem), in the West Bank, destroyed.

As early as the Byzantine period, pilgrims to the Holy Land mention visits to a holy shrine in Nablus known as the Tomb of Joseph. The limestone memorial shown here was built in the 1860s, perhaps on the site of an earlier structure. Recent press photos record its destruction: Palestinians destroy Hebrew texts found inside, throw a molotov cocktail at the tomb, and lay claim to the building, which they have begun to dismantle stone by stone. The tomb was later set on fire.