Habakkuk, who lived in Judea in the seventh century BCE, is numbered among the “Twelve Minor Prophets.” But for those who come to pray at his traditional tomb in Galilee, questions of “minor” and “major” fall away.

Much about this prophet is mysterious, but it is said his name derives from the name of a plant, possibly mint. Indeed, the small tomb building, with its distinctive turquoise dome over a velvet-covered marker, is surrounded by venerable old trees, in a tradition going back thousands of years that is common to many ancient tombs. Scholars say Habakkuk was a philosopher of ultimate faith in God. People who come here know all about faith, as you’ll see by the notes left behind even in cracks in the tree-trunks, asking for answers to prayers.

Habakkuk’s tomb is located northeast of the Sea of Galilee just off road 65 near its intersection with the National Water Carrier.