Though its name identifies it as the home of the prophet Samuel and the tomb of Samuel is here venerated by Muslims and Jews, scholars are agreed that Samuel’s home and place of burial are at Ramah, about 5 miles (8 km) away. Excavations around the modern building which houses a mosque and a synagogue have revealed significant remains from the Crusader period.
Nebi Samwil
Also known as en-Nebi Samwil, Nabi Samwil, Neby Samwil, Beeroth(?), High Place of Gibeon(?), Maspha(?), Mizpah(?)
Aerial of Nebi Samwil
High Place of Gibeon
The modern mosque and its minaret are visible on the skyline for miles around, making it a good reference point. Before the mosque was constructed in the 16th century, a synagogue stood here. The synagogue was built atop remains of an earlier Crusader church. Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela indicated that this church was dedicated to Samuel of Shiloh.
High Place of Gibeon
This prominent peak dominates the Central Benjamin Plateau and is situated just south and above the city of Gibeon. Some have postulated that the “high place of Gibeon” where the tabernacle stood and Solomon offered sacrifices was located here. If so, Nebi Samwil would be the place where the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and granted him discernment.
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Related Websites
Nebi Samwil (Jewish Virtual Library) Gives an interesting and detailed history of the site, accompanied by several enlargeable pictures.
Nebi Samwil (Gulu Archaeological Sites in Israel) Brief description of the site and of the Tomb of Samuel. Suggests that Nebi Samwil is Mizpah.
Gibeon, Nabi Samwil (Holy Land Site) A few videos and photos accompanied by bullet-point information.
Prophet Samuel’s Tomb (Atlas Obscura) Features several photos and background information from a secular perspective.
Nebi Samwil—A Site with Wisdom Ignored (Wayne Stiles personal blog) An article giving background on the location, and pulling modern lessons from the biblical lessons.
Nebi Samwil—The First Sight of Jerusalem (Imperial War Museum) An oil painting of World War I British soldiers looking toward Jerusalem with Nebi Samwil in the foreground.
Nebi Samwil is not Mizpah (BiblePlaces Blog) A response to a 2008 article in Biblical Archaeology Review by Yitzhak Magen. Includes a map, photograph, and some interaction in the comments.
LMLK—Mizpah Identification (LMLK site, G. M. Grena) Bullet points about the conflicting sites for Mizpah – Samwil or Nasbeh?
Nabi Samuel (Israel National Park guide PDF) A brief overview with a graph and reconstruction.
Reconsidering the Ancient Name of Nebi Samwil (PDF article on academia.edu) This article from Nadav Na’aman suggests that Nebi Samwil was known as Ramah in ancient times. It is about 15 pages long, including footnotes and bibliography.
