Prophet Nahum: Restoration of his Tomb in Iraqi Kurdistan

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Jews Quietly Return to Tomb of Prophet Nahum in Iraqi Kurdistan After Restoration

https://vinnews.com/2025/06/30/jews-quietly-return-to-tomb-of-prophet-nahum-in-iraqi-kurdistan-after-restoration/

IRAQ – In a quiet but poignant resurgence of heritage, the once-forgotten burial site of the biblical prophet Nahum in northern Iraq has begun to see visits from Jewish pilgrims, years after a major international effort restored it from near ruin.

Located in the Kurdish village of Alqosh, about 75 miles from Erbil, the tomb had long been in disrepair, suffering from neglect and the regional instability brought on by decades of conflict. A U.S.-based nonprofit, the Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH), undertook a significant project to preserve the site, securing roughly $2 million in funding — including contributions from the U.S. government — and completing the work in 2021.

Since then, according to ARCH’s deputy director Adam Tiffen, dozens of Jews, including Israelis traveling on non-Israeli passports, have visited the site, which includes both Nahum’s tomb and a neighboring synagogue structure. While visits remain low-profile due to the delicate political environment, the reappearance of Jewish visitors after decades marks a meaningful shift.

Among those who recently made the pilgrimage is Rabbi Asher Lopatin from Michigan, who traveled to the region this past spring. Arriving in Erbil shortly after Passover, he drove through the pre-dawn darkness to Alqosh, where he recited morning prayers beside the ancient grave.

“Kurdistan is a rare space of respect and coexistence in the Middle East,” said Lopatin. “There’s something powerful about standing where Jews once prayed generations ago, in a region that holds deep echoes of our history.”

Adam Tiffen outside the Tomb of Nahum in Alqosh Iraq, January 2018. (Courtesy: Ihsan Totenchy)

The Kurdish autonomous region, while operating under the jurisdiction of Iraq, is known for a comparatively tolerant approach to religious minorities. Still, Iraqi law prohibits engagement with Israelis, making such visits particularly sensitive. Lopatin described moments of tension — including when a local imam, after posing with him for a photo, requested it be deleted for fear of reprisal.

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CHABAD:  Nahum was a Jewish minor prophet whose book is included in the Old Testament. His prophecy, found in the Book of Nahum, focuses on the impending destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and offers comfort to the people of Judah who had suffered under Assyrian oppression.  Nahum's message highlights G–D's justice and power, demonstrating that even seemingly invincible empires are subject to divine judgment.

footnote:  Rabbi Glatstein explained that the Kurds are not all the same; they differ according to where they are living, i.e. the Kurds of Turkey lean very left and powerful warriors; the Kurds of Iran are similar to the Persian populace; and the Kurds of Iraq are ......(not sure how the Rav described them here).