On the Trail of the Prophet Micah’s Tomb : An Attempt to Identify the Remains of the Church at Khirbet Umm el-Basal

The reception of the Bible is not limited to translations, commentaries, and reflections; it also includes a longing to encounter the figures of Scripture. Jewish and Christian pilgrims sought, among other things, the tombs of the prophets, so that in places sanctified by tradition they might listen anew to their message. In this way, the tombs of biblical figures became an important element of the religious and cultural landscape of the Holy Land. The article analyses traditions associated with the Jewish and early Christian veneration of the biblical prophet Micah of Moresheth. Based on the biblical text as well as Jewish and Christian traditions, it reconstructs the development of the cult of the prophet’s tomb and the history of its sanctuary, which was likely destroyed in the early 7th century. Recent archaeological discoveries allow for a better understanding of the topography of Beth Guvrin Valley in the Byzantine period and clarify previously puzzling references in the sources. Based on the available historical and archaeological evidence, the authors identify Khirbet Umm el-Basal as the site of the venerated tomb of Micah, possibly dating as early as the 1st–2nd century CE, over which a Christian sanctuary was erected in the late 4th century.