Nebi Shu’eib, a central figure of the Druze faith, is Jethro, who taught his son-in-law Moses the rules of justice and righteousness.
The complex, at the foot of the historic Horns of Hattin, was built in the 19th century, although the tomb is mentioned by travelers going back to the 11th century. The tomb-marker is housed in a third-story chamber built against the exposed limestone cliff, with a picture of departed Druze leader Sheikh Amin Tarif above it on the western wall, and a prayer niche in the southern wall. The small marker is covered with a satin cloth of green, the color associated with Nebi Shu’eib.
In front of the chamber is a spacious courtyard with a spectacular view of the Arbel Valley and the Sea of Galilee. From the railing flies the five-color Druze flag, symbolizing the five Druze prophets, along with the Israeli flag.
Much of the complex is devoted to hospitality; the annual celebration, or ziyara, at Nebi Shu’eib’s tomb, which draws Druze faithful by the thousands, takes place on April 25.