Simon says: "Let's Tour Nabi Shuʿayb!"

Nabi Shuʿayb

In the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee, lies the Tomb of Nabi Shuʿayb, revered by the Druze community as the resting place of the Prophet Shuʿayb, known in the Bible as Jethro.                         

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he met & married Tziporah, Jethro's daughter, in Midian - in the vicinity of Ma'an in Jordan. Shuʿayb, a shepherd & a priest, is one of 25 prophets mentioned in the Qu'ran, but only 4 are considered Arab: Hud, Salih, Muhammad & Shu'ayb. The latter is mentioned 11 times! The other 21 were primarily from the lineage of the Israelites.

The Druze regard Shuʿayb as their greatest prophet; he called on his people to worship one God & to live honestly, rejecting corruption & deceit. His message continues to guide the Druze emphasis on respect for others, & faith in one transcendent Creator; Jethro's name in Arabic means "who shows the right path".                                                                                                                                                                                       Jethro's descendants, a semi-nomadic tribe were known as Kenites. They settled in Judaea & were primarily allied with Israel in the time of Devorah, Saul, & David.

Jael, the wife of Haber the Kenite, killed Sisera, the Canaanite general, after plying him with hot milk & driving a tent peg through his skull while he slept. The event is celebrated in the Song of Devorah, where Jael is famously praised as "most blessed of women in tents" (Judges 5:24).      

         

This event illustrates the Kenites' ability to balance their own interests with a supportive role for Israel in critical moments, which we see in the relationship between the Druze & the Jews even to this day.

                           

Towards the end of his life, Shuʿayb took refuge in a cave outside Hittin & was subsequently buried there; the shrine of Nabi Shuʿayb has served as a pilgrimage destination for centuries. Adjacent to the tomb is an imprint of Shuʿayb's left foot, into which pilgrims pour holy oil. 

Today the shrine is the spiritual centre of the Druze world, & every spring, Druze pilgrims gather here for the Nabi Shuʿayb festival (25–28 April).

Although ethnically Arab & Arabic-speaking, the Druze identity stands apart, blending elements of Islam, Judaism & Christianity.

At Nabi Shuʿayb, visitors encounter interwoven faiths & shared heritage that has shaped the land of Israel for millennia. If you visit the shrine, be prepared to wear modest clothing & to remove your shoes before entering the shrine area. Photography inside the shrine is NOT permitted!     

                                                                                                  Also on the site are a mosque, a study hall, a women's prayer area, washing facilities for men & a picnic area with grills.                                                                                                            On display is a selection of Fatimid gold dinars from the 11th century, discovered in 2015 by Israeli scuba divers in the ancient harbour of Caesarea. It’s the largest cache of medieval gold coins ever found in Israel.                                                                                                                                                     The Druze faith emerged during the very same Fatimid Caliphate, that ruled North Africa & the Levant from 909 to 1171 CE. Because of this link, the Druze community felt a strong spiritual & historical connection to the coins, & in a gesture of cultural cooperation, the Israel Antiquities Authority agreed to enable a display of a curated selection of the coins.

At Imagine Israel Tours, we believe sites like Nabi Shuʿayb remind us that this Land is alive with cultural heritage & dialogue from a mosaic of other traditions.

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