Monolith-4

Monolith-4 is the northernmost of the Silwan tombs, located in the area where the upper ridge and the al-aṣṣara plateau end. It is near Monolith-3 to the west on the lower ridge. The monolithic-tomb is called in Arabic العلية, meaning “the upper one,” due to its elevated position on the ridge (Image 1). This monolith differs in several ways from the other Silwan monoliths. It was constructed at an elevated position and is inaccessible from the ground without a ladder. Unlike the other three, Monolith-4 did not have an inscription. At some point, possibly the late-Hellenistic period, the monolith was adapted for multiple interments. Six burial shafts, called kokhim were carved into the side walls of the monolith’s inner chamber. This style of burial is well-known in the mortuary culture of Second Temple Judaism.

The monolith was heavily quarried in antiquity, probably during the late Roman period. This activity damaged the structure of the monolith and altered its appearance. The kokhim on its two sides opposite the entrance are visible from the outside, as openings, because the exterior walls were thinned out. The area on its west side is a square lot cut into the ridge. David Ussishkin has suggested that another monolith once stood there, before it was destroyed by quarrying. There is evidence that Monolith-4 was turned into a hermit’s dwelling during the Byzantine period if not later. Evidence of a small dwelling was documented on the eastern side of the monolith at the ground level. In the 1870s, Monolith-4 together with Monolith-3 were bought by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Monolith-4 can be seen in some of the earliest photographs of Silwan, particularly in Auguste Salzmann’s 1854 work. In the historic photographs, dating from the mid-19th through the mid-20th century, Monolith-4 is a recognizable feature of Jerusalem’s landscape. The monolithic-tomb attracted the attention of Conrad Schick, who investigated it in the late 19th century and wrote that the Russians at that time were excavating it. L-H. Vincent later studied Monolith-4 and published one of the first drawings of the towering structure (Image 2). The monolithic-tomb was surveyed and excavated by Ussishkin and is numbered Silwan Tomb 28. Today a large building stands in front of Monolith-4, blocking its view, though it can be seen in aerial and satellite imagery.