Tomb of Lazarus, Bethany

A steep stairway descends from the street into the tomb traditionally identified with Lazarus. Here in Al-Eizariya, biblical Bethany, a small burial chamber carries a story that has drawn Christian pilgrims for centuries. The tomb is a separate destination from the nearby Franciscan church and mosque.

Bethany’s Christian meaning begins with a household: Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus, friends of Jesus. At the tomb, that memory turns toward bereavement and the Christian hope of resurrection. The chamber’s significance lies in this received tradition, rather than in proof that its surviving masonry identifies an individual from the Gospel.

Pro Terra Sancta describes 24 steep steps leading to a vestibule, followed by another short descent into a burial chamber less than two metres wide. These physical limits matter when deciding whether to descend. A visit to the nearby church can be considered separately if the tomb’s steps are unsuitable.

Confirm the tomb entrance and access independently of church opening.

In John 11, Martha and Mary send word that their brother Lazarus is ill. When Jesus reaches Bethany, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Martha meets him with grief and a declaration of faith. At the burial place, Jesus asks for the stone to be removed, prays, and calls Lazarus out. Lazarus emerges still wrapped in burial cloths, and Jesus tells those present to release him.

The tomb at Bethany is venerated as the place of this event in Christian tradition.

The household appears again in John 12. During a meal, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly nard and wipes them with her hair. This is Mary of Bethany. A later Western tradition identified her with Mary Magdalene, but the Gospel does not explicitly make that identification. The distinction matters when including Bethany in a Magdalene itinerary.

Pro Terra Sancta traces written testimony to the place of Lazarus to the fourth century and describes Egeria’s account of its liturgies. That is evidence for an early pilgrimage tradition, not first-century authentication of the present chamber.

The Custody of the Holy Land has documented celebrations in the church and prayer at the tomb as distinct parts of pilgrimage. These accounts describe particular celebrations rather than an everyday visitor timetable.

The Catholic calendar commemorates Martha, Mary and Lazarus together on 29 July. Check locally for the sanctuary’s current programme.

The biblical account, the pilgrimage tradition and the modern town each deserve their own context.

Continue through the atlas by country, tradition, physical form, or a focused search that combines this place’s strongest context.

Explore other sacred places in the region. Proximity does not establish access or travel time; check each place’s guidance.

Russian Orthodox Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene

Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel

1.7 km away

Tomb of Mary, Valley of Cedron, Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel

1.8 km away

Temple Mount

Jerusalem District, Israel

2.1 km away

Foundation Stone

Jerusalem District, Israel

2.1 km away

Sources consulted for this page. Source categories describe the publication, not a guarantee that every claim is verified. Traditional accounts and outside interpretations may differ.

1. 01Tomb of Lazarus — Pro Terra Sancta — Bethany projectSource contextFourth-century testimony, current separate street entrance, 24 steep steps and small burial chamber. Devotional identification distinguished from historical authentication.
2. 02John 11:1–44 — United States Conference of Catholic BishopsSource contextPrimary scriptural raising-of-Lazarus account; not archaeological proof of the tomb.
3. 03John 12:1–8 — United States Conference of Catholic BishopsSource contextMary of Bethany anoints Jesus with nard during a meal; distinct narrative from Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb.
4. 04Decree on the celebration of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus — Congregation for Divine WorshipSource context2021 decree and distinction between Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene.
5. 05Bethany, house of friendship — Custody of the Holy LandSource contextDated 2020 account of church and tomb celebrations; the two are distinct places. Not a current timetable.
6. 06Restorations at the Tomb of Lazarus: the visit of the Italian Consul in Bethany — Custody of the Holy LandSource context2020 conservation and Christian-Muslim heritage context; not proof of present opening.
7. 07Bethany: we, as precious as the spikenard — Pro Terra SanctaSource contextDated community report on women’s livelihoods, nard production and access difficulties. No assumption that all programmes are currently bookable.
8. 08Mapped site location — Wikimedia Commons contributorsSource contextTomb location 31 degrees 46 minutes 17.98 seconds N, 35 degrees 15 minutes 21.25 seconds E; representative tomb point, not a claim of an accessible entrance.
9. 09Photograph: Low stone opening leading into the burial chamber at the Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany — ThomasccnawikiofficialCC BY-SA 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/; original image and creator verified visually in Commons on 2026-09-12.
10. 10Bethany: preserving the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary — Pro Terra SanctaSource contextProject identifies Bethany municipality as managing the tomb and distinguishes other local institutions.