Holy Blood: The Joseph's Tomb

The Most Sacred, The Most Volatile

The holiest sites are often the most explosive.

This is the story of the sacred sites in the Land of Israel, places where history stands still, yet continues to ignite the region's fiercest conflicts. These sites frequently dominate global headlines and dictate the political agenda of the Middle East. This is the epicenter of the conflict preventing peace between Jews and Palestinians: The Temple Mount, Joseph’s Tomb, the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Cave of Machpelah), and Rachel’s Tomb.

The series provides an intimate look at the spirit of sacrifice among both Jews and Palestinians, who do everything in their power to maintain their presence and proximity to what they hold sacred—even at the cost of erupting violence. It offers a rare, inside perspective on these holy sites and the believers dedicated to them by any means necessary.

Episode Description: The Joseph's Tomb

Rabbi Ofer Erez is considered the master of both authorized and "pirate" (unauthorized) entries into the tomb complex. He instills a singular message in his students: it is vital to visit Joseph’s Tomb as often as possible, even at the risk of human life.

"The righteous see things that the average person does not, and only by communing with Joseph the Righteous can we hasten the Redemption of the People of Israel. The Palestinians must understand that we will never give up this place. Joseph is a part of us; taking this site is like severing a limb from our body," says Rabbi Erez.

Located on the outskirts of the Palestinian city of Nablus, adjacent to the Balata refugee camp, lies the tomb of Joseph—son of the biblical Jacob and Rachel. Within the same compound is also the grave of a Muslim cleric, Sheikh Yussef Dweikat.

Mohammad Dweikat lives right next to the tomb. His window overlooks the compound, and during the frequent nocturnal visits by Jewish worshippers, soldiers often enter his home for security purposes, disrupting his family’s daily life. "I don’t intend to move even one centimeter; this is the home I inherited from my great-great-grandfather," he says..