JERUSALEM (VINnews) – — More than 70,000 worshippers had visited the tomb of Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, known as the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh, as of Wednesday morning to mark the 283rd anniversary of his passing, Israeli officials said.

Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar (1696–1743), author of the renowned Torah commentary Ohr Hachaim, is revered by both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish communities as one of the greatest Torah scholars, righteous sages and leading kabbalistic masters of the 18th century. His teachings continue to be studied in yeshivas and Jewish communities around the world, and his burial site on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives is among the country’s most visited pilgrimage destinations.

The attendance figures were released following a joint situational assessment involving Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services, the Council of Cemeteries, the Jerusalem Municipality and Israel Police.

Officials urged the public to travel to the site exclusively by public transportation, warning that private vehicles will not be permitted in the area because of the large crowds.

Authorities said security, traffic and crowd-control operations will continue throughout the day as tens of thousands more worshippers are expected to arrive for the annual hilula, one of Israel’s largest religious gatherings.