At the site of Horvat Qasra in the Judean foothills, between the fifth and the eighth centuries, Byzantine Christians frequented a small tomb chapel cut into the limestone hillside. Repurposing what was originally a multi-chambered Judean burial complex, these visitors converted the space into a memorial shrine dedicated to Saint Salome, a figure mentioned in the Gospels as one of Jesus’ disciples. On the interior walls, they carved prayers to “Holy” or “Lady” Salome, titles that implied her saintly status. But who was Saint Salome, and how did this site come to be associated with her?This is a rare case where the full Biblical Archaeology Review article (Spring 2024 issue) is also available for free online:[...]
Joan E. Taylor and Boaz Zissu, The Cave of Salome—Tomb of Jesus’s Disciple?.
Unfortunately, we likely will never know the true identity of the first-century Jewish woman whose name and remains were commemorated at Horvat Qasra. She could possibly have been Salome, the disciple of Jesus, but it’s also possible she was another Salome who, like many wealthy Jewish women of her day, was buried in a monumental cave tomb on the grounds of her family estate. But whoever this Salome was, archaeology shows she certainly had a remarkable afterlife.The article fully surveys who the candidates are for the cave-tomb's occupant.
I noted the excavation of the cave last year.
Cross-file unde Speluncic Archaeology.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.