A TOMB FOR THREE RELIGIONS-Prophetess Huldah (Jewish) or Saint Pelagia (Christian) or Rabi'a al'Adawiyya (Muslim)- Mount of Olives, Jerusalem.

This three in one tomb is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. For, Jews it is the tomb of Prophetess Huldah (7th Century BC); For Christians-the tomb of St: Pelagia (5th Century AD); For Muslims-the tomb of Rabi'a al'Adawiyya (8th Century AD). Although, there are strong traditions identifying Huldah's burial within the walls of Jerusalem and Rabia's in her city of Basra in Iraq, it looks like all three religions strongly desire to get associated with this mysterious tomb. Any how, the nice part is that at least all three accept the tomb's origin to a pious woman.

Huldah: According to Jewish tradition, she was one among the seven prophetesses (others are Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, and Esther); a descendant of Joshua and a relative of Prophet Jeremiah. In Bible, Huldah was a prophetess in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah, and she is mentioned only in 2 Kings 22:13-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:22-28.

St. Pelagia: was a 5th Century (AD) Christian saint. She was a wealthy singer from Antioch who converted to Christianity after hearing the sermon of a Bishop named Nonus. As tradition goes, she repented her sinful life, donated everything to poor and dedicated herself to God. She went to a cave in the Mount of Olives and lived as a hermit wearing a male garb. Only after death it was discovered that she was a woman.

Rabiya al'Adawiyya: is considered the first female saint in Islam. Born as a slave in 714 AD in Iraq, she became an important figure in Sufism. According to Islamic tradition, she later moved to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and lived as a hermit.

The tomb is located on the summit of Mount of Olives, near Pater-Noster Church. Note that the modern road in front of the tomb is named after Rabi'a. The key to the tomb is with a Muslim family which resides inside the compound of the Mosque of Ascension. At morning, we reached the mosque and after visiting the Ascension Chapel, I made a request to visit the tomb. We were asked to come after 2 pm. Only after a few attempts to reach the right person, we finally managed to get the tomb opened for us. Here are a few snaps of the tomb which cannot be accessed that easily.