"So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."Genesis 35:19
Rachel's Tomb is the traditional site of where the matriarch Rachel was buried "along the wayside." Its original structure was built in Byzantine times, and the dome was added in the Ottoman period. The Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefoire built the walls around it in the 18th century and the state of Israel recently fortified this site in the 1990's.
The site is especially visited by Jewish people from all over the world due to its symbol of fruitfulness in childbearing. Rachel’s Tomb is also a place for teaching and holding the traditional ceremonies of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.
