הקברים המפוארים של ירושלים כאמצעי להבנת השינויים במבנה החברתי של העיר בשלהי ימי הבית השני

Starting from the late 1st century BCE (around 20 BCE) and throughout the 1st century CE, dozens of monumental burial caves were constructed around Jerusalem and in the Judea region. These caves were notable for their size and elaborate decorations. Although these burial caves represented a minority among the hundreds of burial caves in Judea and Jerusalem, they garnered significant research interest. Previous studies focused mainly on the unique architectural design of these burial caves and the distinctive architectural and artistic elements found in their facades and burial chambers. Less emphasis was placed on the social and cultural context that gave rise to the phenomenon of monumental burial caves. The aim of this paper is to bridge this gap and explore whether the monumental burial caves can shed light on social, cultural and political processes in Jewish society during the late Second Temple period.