Sacredness Generators in Druze Sacred places in Israel
Studies on the relationship between individuals and Sacred places suggest that certain Places can trigger an experience of the Sacred, much like images can trigger an aesthetic experience. These places possess unique qualities; in their design and arrangement and consequently in the way they are experienced by visitors, they include elements (architypes) that Generate Sacredness, I posit four main principle specified in my Phd work: Unifying Duality, Sublime Extraordinary, Connecting Center, and Fractal Complexity[1]. These are archetypes of the Sacred present in our subconscious perception and in the arrangements of charismatic Sacred sites, sites developed with freedom and charismatic planning (inspired by creativity), these Generators enhance the allure and popularity of the Sacred sites.
The study differentiates between a mystical personal experience of the Sacred, as characterized in the religious sciences, and a conventional notion of holiness associated with an external religion, centered on identity, tradition, society, and culture[2]. Similarly, it distinguishes between an ordinary Sacred site and a charismatic Sacred site. From the perspective of the religious sciences, the Sacred is a universal inner experience. Not every place labelled as Sacred truly is, but only those that resonate with the higher (transpersonal) parts within an individual and activate them[3].
One of the most fascinating religions in Israel is the Druze faith, which has over 145,000 adherents in Israel and around two million in the region. Within this religion, there is also a distinction between two types of religiosity: one for the masses, the Juhhal, who must obey religious leadership, protect their brethren, and fulfil basic moral commandments—essentially maintaining an external religion; and the other for the Uqqal, those who delve into the religion’s mysteries, with the goal of achieving unity with God.
The Juhhal are instructed to visit Sacred places throughout the year to engage in personal prayer, worship, and social gatherings that include preparing food on site (sacrifice). Visitors to these Sacred places light candles, pray, make vows, receive inspiration, solve problems (including social issues), and receive blessings. Such places are often associated with righteous figures and are known as Maqam. Besides a Holy person’s gravestone, they also feature sometimes prayer halls, seclusion rooms, guest rooms, areas for food preparation, storerooms, meeting and discussion spaces, and more. They serve both social and religious needs, creating a unique world that often contains a Sacredness Generator of Fractal Complexity.
Every Druze village has a place of prayer and sanctification, known as Khilwa, typically located on the outskirts of the village. Beyond these, there are several Sacred Pilgrimage sites that are common to all Druze and which the entire community is commanded to visit, particularly on the days of the Hillula (day of festivity). The most significant and largest of these is the Nabi Shu’ayb compound in the Arbel Valley, whose annual gathering takes place in April (Nabi means Prophet in Arabic). Next is the Nabi Khider compound, recently developed and rebuilt in the village of Kefar Yasif, which holds its annual meeting in January. The Nabi Sabalan compound in Horfaish has its annual gathering in September, the Nabi Baha Adin compound in Beit Jan hosts its meeting in July, and the Nabi Yaafuri complex in the Golan Heights holds its annual meeting in August[4].
These five sites correspond to five major principle prophets, each linked with one of the five colours. According to the Druze, there are five cosmic principles known as Hudud, which represent the spiritual world’s foundational elements. These principles are expressed through colours and represented by the prophets: the first principle is the all-encompassing mind which is associated with the colour green, the second is the all-encompassing soul associated with the colour red, the third is the “word” associated with blue, the for the is “the one who comes before” associated with the colour yellow, and the fifth is “the one that comes after” associated with the colour white. The five Sacred Druze pilgrimage sites correspond to the five prophets and the five Hudud and colours, the principles according to which the world was created. Thus, visiting all five Sacred sites during the year forms a cosmology that fosters a connection with the principles of creation.
Aadditionally, a system of multiple colours with interconnection and graduation between its parts fosters a holographic perception of reality, which, in turn, triggers a distinct type of thinking in individuals that promotes the experience of the Sacred. This abstract manifestation of the Sacredness Generator Fractal Complexity, is expressed not only through the existence of the five colours (the “Hudud” – universal cosmic principles) but also through their geometric arrangement within the pentagram symbol that appears on the Druze flag and in Sacred and meaningful to them.
Sacredness Generators in the Nabi Shuayeb complex
One of the prominent Druze Sacred sites in Israel is the Nabi Shuayeb site, which is the holiest in the world for the Druze. According to tradition, this is where Jethro, representing the cosmic principle of the overall mind, is buried. According to Druze belief, every religion has a visible prophet and a hidden prophet who guides the visible one, both connected to the true religion of the Almuhidun (People of Oneness), which is the Druze religion. In Judaism, the visible prophet was Moses, and the hidden prophet who guided him was Jethro (Shuayeb).
The prophet Jethro arrived at the Nabi Shuayeb site, located beneath Mount Karnei Hittin, during his travels following Moses and the Israelites. After losing his sight, he spent his final years in a cave in the area. According to tradition, one day while resting by a spring in a valley at the foot of a mountain, he was bitten by a snake. Jethro stepped on the snake with his foot, leaving a footprint on a bare rock, and then passed away. He was buried in this place, which later became the holiest site for the Druze[5]. The location, nestled in a valley between mountains, symbolizes the duality of the visible and the hidden, perhaps also reflecting Jethro’s role as a hidden prophet.
The principle of the duality of spirit and matter, visible and hidden, underpins the general structure of all religions, though some emphasize it more distinctly, such as the ancient Gnostics. The Druze religion is one such faith, emphasizing duality through its social structure of sages (Uqqal) and laymen (Juhhal), as well as its adherents’ perception of reality, which comprises a visible and a hidden world. This duality is reflected in the arrangement of the Druze’s Sacred sites.
The Nabi Shuayeb complex, much like other charismatic Sacred places, is composed of several sections and levels. At its core is a large hall that houses the tomb and the rock imprinted with Jethro’s heel mark. The hall is distinguished by a spacious dome and a high ceiling. A Sacred marble threshold marks the entrance to the hall, separating the Holy from the profane, and entry requires wearing appropriate attire. This is the Holy of Holies, the site of the Prophet’s Sacred tomb. Many visitors spend extended periods in the hall, praying, supplicating, contemplating, and reflecting. According to those responsible for the site, insights are gained, and miracles occur here, and the atmosphere fosters a sense of calm.
The floor of the grand tomb hall is covered with carpets, with the Sacred rock positioned at its end. The rock is set in a wall niche, hidden by a partition, much like the Prophet’s tomb, which is hidden by a partition as well, the Tomb is draped in a green shroud, symbolizing the cosmic element (Hudud) of all-encompassing Mind[6]. The footprint on the rock is visible and is considered a miraculous feature, embodying the Sacredness Generator Sublime Extraordinary. Outside the hall, a large terrace offers a panoramic view, and beside it, a colonnade opens into a courtyard surrounding a sort of well. The courtyard’s structure, with its well encircled by columns, mirrors the mosque of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the founder of the Druze religion, who was active in Cairo in the early 11th century. This design thus connects the site to the religion’s founder and bestows sanctity upon it. However, only those having Druze background can consciously connect with it.
The balcony is shaped like the letter “R.” On one side, there is the Tomb shrine hall, while on the other side lies a vast prayer hall known as the Khilwa (خَلْوَة). This hall’s walls feature arched windows, each topped with small stone balls carved above the pairs of arches. There are a total of 164 stone balls, which represent the number of hidden Druze prophets[7]. Within the site is also a meeting hall and other sections where a druze religious a school, exclusively open to the Uqqal only is operating.
The location of the Nabi Shuayeb site, the most important Druze site worldwide, in a hidden Valley between the Galilee mountains, highlights the distinctiveness of the Druze religion and its dual nature of visible and hidden. The site’s division into areas open and closed to the public underscores the social and religious duality between the Uqqal and the Juhhal within Druze society, emphasizing the difference between matter and spirit. The site houses a school for the Uqqal (those who delve into the secrets of the Druze faith), and they are the only ones permitted to join the prayers in the Khilwa. The architectural representation of hidden prophets and the figure of Jethro connect believers to the human spiritual heritage and the hidden aspects of religion. Simultaneously, the site features a large open balcony with a magnificent view of the landscape, offering visitors a feeling of being on a higher plane, above the world.
The location of the Nabi Shuayeb site holds great significance in connection to the hidden aspects of religion and line of prophets, Had the Prophet Shuayeb’s tomb been located elsewhere, even on the adjacent Mount Karnei Hittin or in the nearby Arbel Valley, its impact would have been entirely different. In Druze belief, the concept of “the symbol and the symbolized” (al-mathal wal-mamthul) posits that every physical phenomenon has a spiritual counterpart. As the saying goes, “For everything visible, expressed, external, and exotic (zahir), there corresponds something hidden, spiritual, internal, and esoteric (batin).” [8] The sensory world is an imperfect representation, or symbol, of the world of true and existing images. This underscores the profound importance of architecture and symbolism in Sacred places.
The five cosmic principles that comprise the spiritual worlds, known as Hudud, are represented by five colours. The all-encompassing mind, the first of these five principles, forms the hidden world of ideas and reasons, represented by the colour green on the tomb and in the five-coloured flag[9]. The Prophet Shuayeb embodies this principle in the world, as does Hamza ben Ali, the first herald of the Druze religion. Other prophets personify the remaining four Hudud.
What stands out about the Nabi Shauyeb complex is its size and complexity; it is designed to accommodate thousands of people. It seems to envelop the tomb hall, where visible traces of a miracle are present, offering a gateway to another reality evoked by the Sacredness Generator Sublime Extraordinary. The rock behind the screen is both surprising and thrilling, situated in a niche-like internal space that evokes the sense of a wondrous, sublime reality within ourselves, a feeling that there is more to the world than meets the eye. The rock, partially integrated into the wall, serves as a Sacredness Generator Connecting Center as well as a Sacredness Generator Sublime Extraordinary, forming the focal point of the Sacred site. The adjacent tomb merely complements it.
Sacredness Generators in the Al Khider compound, Kfar Yasif
The compound of the Prophet Khider is the second-largest religious complex among Druze Sacred sites in Israel, and serves as the seat of the religious council, including the office of the religious leader, Mowafaq Tarif. The Prophet Khider is a legendary figure also mentioned in Islam as a guide of souls. According to the Druze, he passed through the site and prayed there 3,000 years ago on his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus and then to the East. The Druze believe that El Khider embodies the second cosmic principle, the all encompassing soul, represented by the colour red. El Khider is a remarkable figure said to live eternally, that appeared many times through history. According to legends, he was Alexander the Great’s vizier, who drank from the spring of life in the East and tried to guide Alexander there, prompting the latter’s eastern conquests. El Khider is identified with the Prophet Elijah and St. George, and he has more than 70 Sacred places across the country. He is the ultimate popular saint, and his persona infuses Sacred places with Sacredness Generator of Sublime Extraordinary.
At the heart of the site is the tomb shrine, adjacent to a small square courtyard surrounded by a columned portico. Similar to the courtyard in Nabi Shuayeb and having similar decorations to Nabi Sabalan, the outer walls have friezes resembling a triangular staircase with five steps. This architectural motif also appears in the mosque of Al-Hakim, the founder of the Druze faith, in Cairo, and the arches share a similar style. According to those responsible for the site, architectural motifs associated with Al-Hakim can be found here and in Nabi Shuayeb, effectively transferring the sanctity from Cairo (where he lived, worked, and disappeared) to the Galilee.
Despite the belief in Prophet Khider’s immortality, the site features a representation of his tomb, rather than an actual tomb, symbolizing his presence. In the past, only a pile of stones marked the spot where he rested during his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, where he preached and performed miracles witnessed by 3,000 people, according to Druze tradition. The Druze have their alternative history of events, and Al Khider’s journey is among them, commemorated at various sites where he stopped along the way. Adjacent to the pile of stones stood a tree under whose shade he rested; this tree, the giant cypress in the heart of the courtyard, still stands today. Later, a room was constructed in place of the pile of stones, featuring a representation of a tomb and a dome above it. Nevertheless, the courtyard with the giant cypress remains the focal point of the building, drawing visitors’ attention. From there, visitors can descend to the viewing balcony and take in the surrounding landscape, including a distant view of the sea.
The Nabi Al Khider compound is situated in the heart of a bustling village, seemingly engulfed by the urban landscape from the outside. Enclosed by a wall with a gate, the compound’s interior offers a stark contrast, resembling a different world altogether. The buildings, constructed magnificently from white stone, are surrounded by lush gardens, parking areas, picnic spots, and trees. In the northwest corner, a spacious balcony stretches from the base of the main building to the west. This balcony appears to tower over the village houses, offering sweeping views of the Akko lowlands and the sea to the west. Architecturally, the disparity between the village’s mundane existence and the Sacredness of the place culminates in the balcony. Starting from the gate, passing through the compound’s buildings and gardens, reaching the open balcony feels like entering another realm—a higher plane than the surrounding daily life. The distant sea view further enhances this sensation, as suddenly, the vista expands, and a sense of holiness permeates the air.
Scredness Generators in the Nabi Sablan complex in Horfeish
During the formative period of the Druze religion in the early 11th century, five messengers emerged as leaders of the burgeoning religious community. Each of these messengers is associated with one of the main Sacred Druze sites in Israel, symbolized by the presence of one of the five colours linked to them. However, these five messengers also correspond to five principal prophets and the five cosmic principles known as Hudud.
Makam Nabi Sablan is attributed to Abu Al Khir, the fourth of the five messengers, identified with the blue colour and representing the cosmic principle of the word (which is third in order). Abu Al Khir fled from Hebron to the Galilee to evade religious persecution, seeking refuge in a cave atop the mountain. Through a miraculous act, he caused the Kziv stream in the valley below to overflow, thwarting his pursuers. After the danger subsided, he lived as a solitary monk atop the mountain, where he imparted the secrets of the religion. Unlike other Druze Sacred places, the maqam is not a grave, as the prophet relocated to the Druze mountain in his final days, where he eventually passed away and was buried.
Typologically, the Nabi Sablan site is situated atop a prominent mountain with a distinctive appearance, reminiscent of the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. Positioned at the pinnacle of Mount Zebul, it offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. The mountain serves as the archetypal cosmic mountain, symbolizing the connection between the earthly plains and the celestial realm. The journey to the site, ascending from the village roads to the parking lot at the mountain’s summit, is awe-inspiring and evokes a sense of ascent towards the divine.
Within the complex itself, there is a spacious balcony and adjacent gardens offering sweeping views of the entire area. Surrounded by taller mountains, the site atop Mount Zebul creates a sense of being within an amphitheater, akin to a central point within a circle—a characteristic shared with other Sacred sites around the world, such as Jerusalem, Rome, Kathmandu, and Mexico City. This circular archetype triggers an experience of the Sacred.
The cave at the mountain’s peak, where Nabi Sablan found refuge and later lived as a secluded hermit, represents another archetype of holiness, symbolizing introspection and hidden knowledge. The stream at the mountain’s base, associated with a miracle, brings the element of water. Nearby, on the mountain’s slopes, there is a grove Sacred to the prophet where he prayed. Together, these elements create a Sacredness Generator of Fractal Complexity, a Sacred microcosm of the world – Imagio Mundi. The cave at the mountain’s summit encourages an inward journey, fostering a connection to one’s inner self, thus transforming the place into a world axis.
The room that the saint built above the cave expresses the new vision of the world that the prophet Sabalan developed in his mind following his mystical experiences. Thus, when the tomb complex was first constructed in the 13th century (two hundred years after the events), inspired by a dream of a Druze sheikh, four domes were built above the entrance to the tomb, representing the number of letters in the word “Allah” (or Jehovah, as some interpret it). This forms a Sacredness Generator of Fractal Complexity that invites reality from the other world into this one, as well as a Sacredness Generator Connecting Center.
The site features recurring symbolic numbers, such as three, which appears in the three arches on the entrance porch, three door frames leading to the Sacred room, and cornices decorated with three steps. The number five is seen in the pentagram symbol and in the five stripes on the columns supporting the arches in the entrance hall. The number seven is also present, with seven arches in the entrance hall. All of these are Sacred Generators of Fractal Complexity.
In conclusion, what stands out and significantly transforms a visitor’s experience at the Nabi Sablan site is its location atop the mountain, offering a stunning 360-degree view of the site and its surroundings. This remarkable location is accentuated by the expansive terrace, nearby gardens and open spaces, including the parking lot at the summit. Reaching the peak feels like entering another world, the Sacredness Generator of Sublime Extraordinary is brought to life by the height and the panoramic landscape. Added to the stunning view and location are the other features: the building’s design, geometric symbols, numerical patterns, the cave, and the legends associated with the site.
In conclusion:
The Sacred places of the Druze in Israel have undergone significant changes in recent years, transforming from simple rooms with domes to multi-Generational complexes incorporating universal archetypes of holiness into their architecture. Given that this evolution is ongoing, it raises several intriguing questions: Who are the architects behind these construction plans, and how do they come up with their designs? How much involvement do the clergy have in the planning process, and to what extent do architects have creative freedom versus following strict guidelines or inspirations?
It would also be interesting to investigate how visitors respond to the new architecture and design, and whether the popularity and charisma of these Sacred sites have increased as a result. Exploring these aspects could provide valuable insights into how Sacred architecture evolves and the impact it has on religious experience and pilgrimage.
Footnotes
[1] בן אריה, זאב, מחוללי קדושה במקומות קדושים כריזמטיים בישראל. עבודת דוקטורט. אוניברסיטת חיפה
[2] Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin, and Michael Argyle, The Psychology of Religious Behavior, Belief and Experience, London: Routledge, 1997.
[3] אוטו, רודולף, הקדושה: על הלא־רציונלי באידיאת האל ויחסו לרציונלי, תרגמה: מרים רון, תל־אביב: כרמל, 1999.
[4] ישנם עוד שני מקומות שהם מקום כינוס כלל עדתי, האחד מקאם אבו עבדאללה בעוספייה בנובמבר, והשני מקאם סת שעואנה בעין קיניה במאי
[5] שמעון אביבי, הדרוזים בישראל ומקומותיהם הקדושים, ירושלים: אריאל, תש”ס, עמ’ 306.
[6] Abu-Izzeddin, The Druzes, p. 104
[7] שמעון אביבי, הדרוזים בישראל ומקומותיהם הקדושים, ירושלים: אריאל, 2000, עמ’ 56.
[8] Abu Izzeddin, The Druzes, p. 93
[9] Ibid p. 104
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