אַדְמַת הַר הַזֵּיתִים Earth of the Mount of Olives
Deuteronomy 32:43 · The Song of Ha'azinu
“And His land shall atone for His people.”

Earth from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem — a sacred segulah for any Jewish grave in the diaspora: sprinkled on and around the resting place, even many years after burial.

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The Segulah

Earth of the Land of Israel in the grave — a tradition of two thousand years

For as long as Jews have lived far from Zion, they have longed to rest in her soil. When burial in the Land of Israel itself is not possible, an ancient custom offers a measure of that merit: sprinkling earth of the Holy Land on and around the grave — at the burial itself, or at any time in the years that follow. The sources span from the Torah to the codes of Jewish law.

Torah · The Song of Ha'azinu
וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ
“And His land shall atone for His people.”
Deuteronomy 32:43
Talmud Bavli · c. 3rd–5th century
כָּל הַקָּבוּר בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל — כְּאִילּוּ קָבוּר תַּחַת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ
“Whoever is buried in the Land of Israel — it is as if he were buried beneath the altar.”
Ketubot 111a
Talmud Yerushalmi · the practice itself
הָיוּ נוֹטְלִין גּוּשׁ עָפָר וּמַנִּיחִין עַל אֲרוֹנָן... לְקַיֵּם וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ
“They would take a clod of earth and place it upon the coffin… to fulfil ‘And His land shall atone for His people.’”
Yerushalmi, Kilayim 9:3
Spain · c. 1140 · Yehuda Halevi
לִבִּי יְאַוֶּה... לְחַבֵּק עֲפַר אַרְצֵךְ
“My heart yearns… to embrace the dust of your land.”
From the Songs of Zion
Kraków · 1570 · Codified in Jewish law
יֵשׁ נוֹהֲגִין לָתֵת מֵעֲפַר אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּקֶּבֶר, וְיֵשׁ לַמִּנְהָג זֶה עַל מַה שֶּׁיִּסְמֹכוּ
“Some are accustomed to place earth of the Land of Israel in the grave — and this custom has sound foundations.” — The Rema
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 363:1
The Source

Why the Mount of Olives

Facing the Temple Mount across the Kidron Valley lies the oldest and holiest Jewish cemetery in the world. Jews have been brought to rest on the Mount of Olives for some three thousand years — prophets, sages and generations of the faithful — because tradition holds that here, at the foot of the Mount, the resurrection of the dead will begin.

Every bag we prepare is gathered on this mountain — not “somewhere in Israel,” but from the slope that looks upon the place of the Temple itself.

3,000years of burial
150,000+graves on the Mount
1place facing the Temple Mount
The ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, source of the Holy Land burial earth, facing the Old City and the Temple Mount
The ancient graves of the Mount of Olives, facing the Old City of Jerusalem
The Journey

From the Mount of Olives to the resting place of your loved one

A simple, dignified process — documented at every step.

Your order

Place your order online, in your language. For a grave from last month or from decades ago — for an unveiling, a yahrzeit, or a visit you have long been meaning to make.

Gathering on the Mount

The earth is gathered by hand on the Mount of Olives under rabbinic supervision. Each gathering is filmed and documented.

Sealed & certified

Your earth is sealed in a linen pouch with a numbered certificate of authenticity bearing the rabbinic attestation.

Express delivery

Fully compliant express shipping, worldwide. Typically arriving within days, carefully packed and ready for the visit to the cemetery.

At the graveside

An enclosed guide leads you through the simple act: sprinkling the earth on and around the grave, with the traditional verses and the El Malei Rachamim prayer.

⏱It is never too late. The segulah applies to any Jewish grave — including loved ones laid to rest decades ago. Sprinkle the earth on and around the grave at a yahrzeit, an unveiling, or any visit. (For an upcoming levaya, urgent same-day dispatch is also available.)
The slope of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where the burial earth is gathered by hand under rabbinic supervision
The slope of the Mount of Olives where each batch of earth is gathered, under rabbinic supervision
Pouch of holy earth from the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem — burlap bag with the verse V'chiper Admato Amo, an olive tree emblem and the Old City of Jerusalem behind
The pouch of Mount of Olives earth — packaging concept, photographed against the Old City of Jerusalem
The Package

Everything a family needs, in one dignified box

  • A linen pouch of earth, gathered on the Mount of Olives
  • Numbered certificate of authenticity, signed under rabbinic supervision
  • Booklet: the sources of the custom & the graveside prayer, in three languages
  • Express worldwide shipping, fully compliant with import regulations
$89

Additional pouches for family members can be added, so each child may take part in the mitzvah.

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Our Covenant

Authenticity you can hold in your hand

Centuries ago, unscrupulous traders sold plain earth to diaspora communities as “earth of the Holy Land.” We built this service so that no family should ever have to wonder.

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Rabbinic supervision

Every gathering is performed under the supervision of [Rabbi — name & community], whose attestation appears on your certificate.

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Documented gathering

Each batch is filmed on the Mount of Olives. Your certificate number links to the documentation of your batch.

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Fully compliant shipping

Prepared and shipped in full compliance with USDA and international import regulations — so it arrives, legally and safely.

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Secure & discreet

Secure checkout, discreet packaging, and caring support in Hebrew, English and French.

“At my father's yahrzeit in Marseille, twenty years after he was laid to rest, we sprinkled the earth on and around his grave and read the verse together. It felt as though we had brought a piece of Jerusalem to him, since we could not bring him to Jerusalem.”
Questions

What families ask us

Is this a substitute for burial in the Land of Israel?

No — and we would never claim so. Burial in the Land itself is a merit of its own. The custom of placing earth of Israel in a grave abroad is an honored tradition, codified by the Rema, that grants a measure of that connection: “so that in some way, it is as if they rest in the soil of Israel.”

Is the custom halachically sound?

Yes. The Rema rules (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 363:1): “Some are accustomed to place earth of the Land of Israel in the grave — and this custom has sound foundations.” It has been practiced by burial societies across the diaspora for centuries. Families are always encouraged to consult their own rabbi.

How quickly can the earth arrive?

Express delivery typically arrives within 2–4 business days, worldwide — and there is no deadline: the segulah may be performed at any time. For an imminent levaya, urgent dispatch is available.

Can it be used years after the funeral?

Yes — this is the heart of the custom. The earth may be sprinkled on and around any Jewish grave at any time: at the unveiling of the matzevah, on a yahrzeit, or on a cemetery visit, even many years after burial. The enclosed guide includes the appropriate texts for each occasion.

How do I know the earth is truly from the Mount of Olives?

Every pouch carries a numbered certificate signed under rabbinic supervision, and every gathering is filmed on the Mount itself. Your certificate number corresponds to your batch's documentation — a chain of custody from the Mount to your hands.

כִּי רָצוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת אֲבָנֶיהָ, וְאֶת עֲפָרָהּ יְחֹנֵנוּ
“For Your servants cherish her stones, and hold her very dust dear.” — Psalms 102:15
Bring the earth of Jerusalem home · $89

Holy Land soil for burial — the custom, in brief

Families searching for Holy Land soil, earth from Jerusalem for burial or Mount of Olives soil are usually looking for the same thing: a way to honor the ancient Jewish custom of placing earth of the Land of Israel in or upon the grave of a loved one buried in the diaspora. The practice is rooted in the verse “And His land shall atone for His people” (Deuteronomy 32:43), described in the Talmud, and codified by the Rema in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 363:1). Chevra kadisha burial societies around the world have kept it for centuries — at the burial itself, at the unveiling of the headstone, on a yahrzeit, or on any visit to the cemetery, even many years after burial.

Our earth is gathered only on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem — the oldest Jewish cemetery in the world, facing the Temple Mount — under rabbinic supervision and with a numbered certificate of authenticity. We ship express, worldwide: United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and most Jewish communities across the globe. The segulah has no deadline — the earth may be sprinkled on and around the grave at any time; urgent dispatch is available when needed for an imminent levaya (funeral).