Rabbi Yossi Banaa

Rabbi Yossi Bana'a was a fourth generation Tana, living during the time of Rabbi Meir. He would hired himself out as a day laborer for construction jobs to earn a living. In the Midrash he is referred to as Abba Yosef HaBanai and carries a deep conversation with the non Jewish philosopher Avnimus HaGredi regarding the creation of the world.

Kever Rabbi Yossi Banaa

Rabbi Yossi Banaa is buried in the Banaah Synagogue of Tzfat's Old City that is named after him. His tziyun is located in a side room under the women's section. Towards the top of the tziyun, where a stone slab lays, is buried an ancient Torah scroll. Traditionally the Jews of Tzfas would gather to pray at his kever on the first day of Pesach. There is a segula to leave a sick person in the room overnight and generally this helps cure him. Unfortunately today the actual Tziyun is almost always locked up, although the adjacent Beit Knesset is sometimes open for minyonim.