Joseph's Well

(Jib Youseff)

Jib Youseff is the name given to this well by the Muslims. They believe that it was here that Joseph was thrown by his brothers, prior to his being sold. The well is situated on a low hill, close to Kibbutz Amiad in the Upper Galilee.

The well is 1m in diameter, with a depth of about 2m, covered with a dome on 4 pillars and is surrounded by graves from a later period. Gib Youseff is first mentioned in the mid 10th century, but the dome is from a later period. According to evidence the well was 10m deep and was an excellent source of drinking water, until the mid 19th century. It is believed that the well collapsed after the earthquake of 1837 and thereafter, is not mentioned again as a water source. The well was in a courtyard with a small mosque close by, but nothing remains of either.

According to the biblical story (Genesis: Chapter 37) Joseph was sent from Hebron by his father to join his brothers, who were tending their sheep in Schem. His brothers had already left and he finally caught up with them in Dotan. His brother Rubin objected to their killing him and it was he who suggested placing him in the well and then selling him to a passing caravan. The Midianites, merchant men, drew him from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. Jib Youseff is mentioned in the Koran (Surah 12: p 10,15), where they tell the same story.

There is a dispute by commentators as to the location of Dotan. Jib Youseff is not on the route from Median to Egypt and Tel Dotan is considered to be situated between Schem and Jenin, which is much further south. It is difficult to know when exactly this site was claimed to be a holy site, but in 985 Mukadassi, the famous Arab geographer, marked this an an important site. Many of the khanim in the area were constructed during the Ottoman period, but this one was clearly not needed or used on the business route and it was constructed probably solely because of Jib Youseff.

Safed was an important town and Jib Youseff was used as a tolling station, where road taxes were collected. Documentation from the Ottoman period report an army unit stationed here, who lived in a village close by, and the residents were expected to pay taxes as well.

The first accurate description of Jib Youseff was recorded by an Italian traveller, Aquilante Rochetta in 1599. He described the well in the centre of a courtyard, with its dome and 4 pillars all covered in marble. In 1799, this site is mentioned in connection with Napolean. During the blockade of Acre (Akko), he had information that Turkish troops were using the bridge at B'not Ya'akov on their way from Damascus to Safed and he sent troops to investigate. General Jacquatin led the troops and although they never passed this area it was he who first documented maps of this area, which included Jib Youseff, although no mention was made of the khan.

In 1900, Joseph Nadan came to this site. He was apparently of Indian origin and he erected a plaque on the wall. The inscription reads: "In the name of Allah/Joseph's Well/Peace be with Him/1318" This is written in Urdu and 1318 in the Muslim calendar corresponds with the year 1900.

The first traveller to give an accurate architectural description of the well was Burckhardt in 1812. He wrote that there was no Khan in Safed and because he had no letter of introduction was forced to spend the night at a public inn. He left Safed in the early morning and descended the mountain in the direction of the lake. The land was not cultivated and there were no trees. After two and a quarter hours he arrived at khan Jib Youseff. The khan was in ruins with a large pond next to it. He tells the story of Joseph and describes the well, close to the khan, as being about 3 foot in width and 30 foot deep and built of stone. He speaks of the water which was never exhausted, which he thought was strange if it were to coincide with the story of Joseph being thrown into it. He describes the stones as being black, but the rocks white and rich in limestone. Apparently the local people believed that the stones had turned black, after Jacob's tears fell on them, while he was searching the area for his lost son. The well was maintained by both the Turks and the Christians. He mentioned that only a few travellers passed by and that it is situated on the Acre/Damascus road, with a small village close by occupied by soldiers and their families.

Jib Youseff in relation to the Khan

Bibliography:

Adorno,J., Itineraire d'Anselme Adorno en Terre Sainte (1470-1471). Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique:Paris,1978

Burckhardt,J.L., Travels in Syria and the Holy Land. 18221881

Heyd,U. Ottoman Documents of Palestine. pp 122, 126

Huetteroth,R., Historical Geography of Palestine Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlnagen Geogra-phische Arbeiten:1977

Koehner,G. (Hebrew) Jib Youseff. Ariel Books.1995

Ibn Battuta., Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354. trans H.A.R. Gibb

Rocchetta,A., Peregrinatione di Terra Santa. Palermo, 1630

Taylor,I.J.S., La Syrie, l'Egypte, la Palestine et la Judee. 1839

Vered,M., Striem,H.L., The Safed Earthquake of 1.1.1837. Israel Atomic Energy Commision, 1976, p.1