The tomb of Maimonides (the Rambam) in Tiberias is one of the most visited Jewish pilgrimage sites in Israel. Moses ben Maimon, born in Cordoba in 1138, was a rabbi, philosopher, physician, and the author of works that shaped Jewish thought for a millennium. He spent most of his career in Egypt, but his final resting place is in the city where the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled.
The Man
Maimonides wrote the Mishneh Torah, the first systematic codification of all Jewish law, and the Guide for the Perplexed, a philosophical masterwork that reconciled Jewish theology with Aristotelian philosophy. He served as physician to the court of Saladin’s vizier in Cairo and somehow found time to answer legal questions from Jewish communities across the medieval world. The traditional epitaph says: “From Moses to Moses, there was none like Moses.”
The Tomb
The tomb compound in Tiberias includes a covered shrine over the burial site, a study hall, and a courtyard. The shrine is simple but dignified, and visitors place stones on the tomb and recite prayers. The setting, in the city that was the last great center of Jewish learning in the Land of Israel, gives the tomb a resonance that goes beyond the individual. Maimonides chose to be buried here, connecting himself to the chain of scholars who made Tiberias a holy city.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The tomb of Maimonides is part of Tiberias’ Jewish heritage trail. Hoshen Tours pairs it with Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes and the holy tombs of the Galilee.