Tomb of Rachel circa1870 Probably by Bonfils

This is an original vintage Albumen print on a thin sheet of paper with sepia color and slightly glossy surface. Rachel’s tomb is a well-recognized site in the Holy Land. Many artists have painted it and photographed it. This building is attributed to Rachel’s tomb for many hundreds of years following the story of her death in Genesis 35:16-20 “…Thus Rachel died; and she was buried on the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a memorial stone on her grave, and the same monument marks Rachel's grave to this day.” In this picture we see the domed building which was built over Rachel’s tomb, and in the background the village of Beit Jalla. The picture is marked 451 Tombeau du Rachel. Size: 28 X 22 cm (11 x 8.5 inches). The prolific photographer Felix Bonfils was born on 8 March 1831 in France. In 1867, he moved to Beirut with his wife Lydie (b. 1837), and son Adrien (b. 1861) and set up a photographic studio. Bonfils published many albums focusing on specific regions or themes from various sites along the eastern Mediterranean. Bonfils died in 1885.