Tomb of Absalom or Yad Avshalom

This 20 meters high tomb belongs to Absalom, the rebellious third son of King David. "Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the Monument after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s Monument." declares Bible (II Samuel 18:18). Absalom was killed and buried by David's commander Yoav (Yoab) in a pit. Later, he was buried in the grand monument called Yad-Avshalom (the featured site), which according to the bible was built by Avshalom himself before he died. Arabs call the monument 'Pharaoh's Hat', because of its conical top.

Interestingly, for centuries rebellious children were taken to the site and made to throw stones at "Yad Avshalom" just to remind them that "the stones hurled were to curse Absalom and to tell them the life and fate of that rebellious son." It became a custom among passersby - Jews, Christians and Muslims - to throw stones at the monument. Thus it took a lot of effort to clean the stones hurled at the site before opening the tomb to modern public! Ironically, archaelogical evidences, date this tomb to first cent AD only, whereas Absalom lived in 10 th century BC!

See more
http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/AvshalomTomb.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Avshalom