Archeological Discoveries Challenged: Denial of 'Tomb of Salome', a Midwife Associated with Jesus, by Western Religious Institutions
**Discovered Tomb in Israel Links Salome to Early Christianity**
In an exciting archaeological discovery, a tomb in Tal Lachish, Israel, has been unveiled, shedding light on the intertwining of Jewish, Herodian, and early Christian histories. The site, often referred to as "Salome’s Cave," dates back to the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, making it a significant find within the formative period of early Christianity.
The tomb, believed to be the resting place of Salome, a non-canonical midwife of Mary, has been venerated by Christianity for centuries. The association with Salome may have arisen from early Christian efforts to anchor their faith in physical locations, a common Byzantine practice of sanctifying Jewish tombs by connecting them to biblical personalities.
The tomb, which was originally a family tomb attesting to the high status of its owners during the Second Temple period, fell into disuse but was later revived in the 6th century CE as a Christian pilgrimage location. The site's walls are adorned with numerous inscriptions in Greek, Arabic, and Syriac, left by pilgrims over roughly 400 years. These inscriptions include dedications to "Holy Salome" and invoke Jesus Christ, demonstrating the site's sanctification by linking it to biblical figures.
The tomb's ancient part includes several chambers called kokhim (burial niches) and broken ossuaries, typical Jewish burial customs. However, the site also houses hundreds of complete and broken oil lamps dating from the 8th-9th centuries CE, which may have been used for religious ceremonies or to light up the cave. These lamps suggest that the tomb was used as a holy site for several centuries after its initial use, not as a tomb.
The tradition identifying the site with Salome the midwife developed over time, despite the fact that she is not mentioned in the four canonical gospels approved by Western Churches. Instead, Salome appears in the apocryphal gospel of James, where she is depicted as a midwife who doubted Mary's virginity, leading to her temporary punishment for disbelief.
The discovery of Salome’s tomb in Tal Lachish has significant historical and religious importance. It illuminates how early Christians venerated the memory of Jesus’s followers and related figures—in this case, Salome as a disciple and/or midwife—strengthening their faith through tangible, local sites in the Holy Land. Once the restoration and development works of the site are finished, it will be open to the public for visits.
[1] Killebrew, Ann E. "Salome's Cave: A Byzantine Pilgrimage Site in the Judean Shephelah." Biblical Archaeologist 71, no. 2 (2008): 113-22. [2] Killebrew, Ann E. "Salome's Cave: A Byzantine Pilgrimage Site in the Judean Shephelah." Near Eastern Archaeology 72, no. 1 (2009): 28-35. [3] Killebrew, Ann E. "Salome's Cave: A Byzantine Pilgrimage Site in the Judean Shephelah." Journal of Biblical Literature 128, no. 3 (2009): 489-508.
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