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Palestinians set fire to Joseph's Tomb

Joseph's Tomb early 1900s


● Palestinian rioters set a fire on the compound containing Joseph's Tomb — which is venerated by Jews as a holy site — in the West Bank city of Nablus today. [CNN / Ben Brumfield and Greg Botelho]


● The arson is almost certainly going to exacerbate growing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. This explainer from Vox's Zack Beauchamp should catch you up on what's been going on. [Vox / Zack Beauchamp]


● Many Jews believe that Joseph's Tomb is the gravesite of the Joseph from the Book of Genesis (he of the amazing technicolor dreamcoat); many Muslims, on the other hand, believe that the body belongs to a 19th-century Islamic cleric. [AFP


● There's been a power struggle over the site for decades — including previous attacks. Haaretz explains the tomb's recent history here. [Haaretz / Jack Khoury]

Read entire article at Vox