The Tomb of the Kings was a popular tourist site. It was described by the Greek geographer [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] as the second most beautiful tomb in the world (after the [[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus|tomb]] of [[Mausolus]], one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]]) who visited Eretzin Israel[[Aelia Capitolina|Jerusalem]]. He declares that he "knows many wonderful tombs" and mentions two of them, one of which is in [[Halicarnassus]] and the other "in [the Land of] the Hebrews" (Greek: ἐν τῇ Ἑβραίων) and has a sophisticated opening mechanism aimed at a certain day of the year and for a certain time: "The Hebrews have a tomb, that of [[Helena of Adiabene|Helena]], a local woman, in the city of Jerusalem (Greek:πόλει Σολύμοις), which the [[Hadrian|Roman emperor]] razed to the ground. There is a contrivance in the tomb whereby the door, which like the entire tomb is made of stone, does not open until the year brings back the same day and the same hour. Then the mechanism, unaided, opens the door, which, after a short interval, closes itself again. It happens at the same time, but if you try at any other time to open the door, you will not be able to do so; Power will not open it, but will only break it."<ref> Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio'', ed. Teubner, VIII, 16:4-5</ref>
A small stone house was built on top of the tomb by Irhimeh clan ({{Lang-ar| ارحيمه}}), a Jerusalemite family.<ref>{{cite book|last=Michelson|first=Menachem|others=Milner, Moshe; Salomon, Yehuda|script-title=he:מקומות קדושים וקברי צדיקים בארץ ישראל|trans-title=The Jewish Holy Places in the Land of Israel|year=1996|publisher=[[Israel Ministry of Defense]]|location=[[Israel]]|isbn=965-05-0836-8|page=59|language=Hebrew|quote=בלובר שבפריס מוצגים ארונות קבורה, ממצאים ושרידים שנמצאו בקברי המלכים – מערת הקברים הידועה בירושלים המזרחית.}}</ref>