Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Rachel's burial place is located south of Jerusalem, near Bethlehem (in the territory of Judah) by Gen 48:7. But it is located north of Jerusalem (Zelzah/Ramah) in the territory of Benjamin by 1 Samuel 10:2 and Jeremiah 31:14.
How do Chazal reconcile these verses?
In Tosefta Sotah 11:7 the verses from Genesis and Samuel are discussed. It is concluded that the prophet Samuel meant that the group of prophets that Saul will meet are right now near the tomb of Rachel around Beit Lechem, but Saul will come across them when he comes to Tzeltzach. I.e., by the time he gets there, they'll have reached Tzeltzach as well.
As for Ramah, in Seder Eliyahu Rabbah (Desheh Edition, p. 332, likutim no. 42) it says:
"דבר אחר, לפיכך קברה בדרך אפרת, לפי שאפרת היא רמה..."
"...Another option, because of this he buried her on the way to Efrat, because Efrat is Ramah..."
There are various other explanations, but as you requested only Chazal, I limited this answer to Chazalic sources.
