Tomb of the Kings

The Tomb of the Kings is an elaborate ancient rock-cut burial complex in East Jerusalem, north of the Old City walls. Despite its name it is not a royal tomb of biblical kings but the mausoleum of Queen Helena of Adiabene, a first-century convert to Judaism, and her family. A monumental staircase descends to a sunken courtyard, from which passages lead into a series of underground burial chambers cut deep into the rock. The site, owned by France, is admired for the scale and sophistication of its funerary architecture.