Kokh (tomb)

Kokhim (singular: Kokh) is a type of tomb complex characterised by a series of long narrow shafts, in which the deceased were placed for burial, radiating from a central chamber. These tomb complexes were generally carved into a rock face, and were usually closed with a stone slab and had channels cut into the center of the shaft to drain any water that seeped through the rock.

Several examples of Kokhim can be found in Palestine and Israel. For example, one third of a Kokhim complex survives at the far west end of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem; the Church wall runs through the centre of the complex, and the remaining two thirds no longer exist.