Where are Bilhah and Zilpa buried?
asked Mar 30, 2011 at 19:41
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3Where are Bilhah and Zilpah buried?– Seth JCommented Mar 30, 2011 at 20:01
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See also judaism.stackexchange.com/q/87382– msh210 ♦Commented Dec 4, 2017 at 5:07
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1 Answer
There's a place in Tiberias that is supposed to be the common gravesite of several prominent women from Tanach; a sign there lists Bilhah, Zilpah, Yocheved, Tzipporah, Elisheva, and Avigayil. I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition.
Some pictures, and directions, are here.
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1Some of these are easier to swallow than others. Avigayil is certainly possible as King David could have had her buried in Tiberias (though why I don't know). Bilhah and Zilpah most likely died in Israel (Genesis 46 sounds like they didn't come down to Egypt), but hadn't they been living in the South part of the country, not anywhere near Tiberias? Yocheved was born and presumably died in Egypt. Tzipporah ("the missing matriarch") ... did she outlive Moshe and make it into Israel? I don't think we know. Elisheva -- see notes on Tzipporah.– ShalomCommented Mar 31, 2011 at 13:35
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1In general it's a big question what it means when various places in the north of Eretz Yisrael are identified as the kevarim of famous tzaddikim or tzidkaniyos - especially when those seem to contradict information given elsewhere. For example, II Chron. 24:16 says that Yehoyada Kohen Gadol was buried in Jerusalem, but there's a grave in Tzfas shown as his (and I believe it was identified as such by the Arizal). One suggestion I've seen is that many or most of these are cenotaphs - memorials to these people, but not their actual burial places.– AlexCommented Mar 31, 2011 at 15:09
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According to at least one opinion though, Bilhah came down to Egypt though as she was still alive at the time, thus fulfilling the "moon" part of Joseph's dream. Maybe she was buried in Egypt.– CashCowCommented Jan 2, 2015 at 11:54
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@CashCow Do you happen to know the source for this opinion? Commented Nov 29, 2020 at 11:26