Rachel's tomb: Societal liminality and the revitalization of a shrine

An examination of records left by pilgrims visiting Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem reveals flourishing themes and rituals during the 1940s. These years were also a time of major cultural upheaval for the Jewish community of Palestine. The author suggests that an increase in pilgrimage to shrines of saints can be seen as an attempt to make sense out of current reality by linking it to sacred history. An important impetus for the development of a pilgrimage site may be the perceived convergence of aspects of the saint's biography with current political and social conditions.