Many cultures across the world hold deep-rooted beliefs in reincarnation—the idea that a soul can be reborn into a new body after death. Among these cultures is the Druze community in the Golan Heights, whose traditions include the belief that birthmarks can reveal the way a person died in a past life. One of the most fascinating and unsettling stories to emerge from this belief centers around a 3-year-old boy who claimed, with eerie certainty, that he had been murdered with an axe in a previous life.
From the moment he could speak, the boy began telling those around him about his “other life.” What made his claims more disturbing was the large red birthmark on his head, exactly in the spot where he insisted the fatal blow had struck him. In Druze culture, such marks are not taken lightly; they are seen as physical remnants of a violent end in a previous incarnation.
The child did not just speak in vague terms—he pointed out a specific village that he said had been his home before his death. He described the surrounding landscape, the people, and even a hidden location where his body had supposedly been buried. Skeptical but intrigued, local elders and family members decided to follow him to the place he described. To their astonishment, the boy led them directly to a spot where, after digging, they uncovered a human skeleton. Beside it lay a rusted axe—the very weapon he claimed had ended his life.
Among the witnesses was Dr. Eli Lasch, a highly respected physician known for his work in Gaza and his reputation for scientific integrity. Dr. Lasch personally observed the events and later recounted the story in detail. His account was eventually included in German author Trutz Hardo’s book Children Who Have Lived Before, which compiles documented cases of children recalling past lives.
Remarkably, this was far from an isolated incident. Across the world, similar cases have been reported. In the United States, a young boy named James Leininger began having vivid nightmares of dying in a World War II fighter plane crash. His descriptions were so precise—down to the name of the aircraft carrier and fellow soldiers—that they were later verified through military records. In Thailand, another child was born with matching birthmarks on his chest and back. He later described being shot in the exact locations of the marks, a story that aligned with a recorded violent death in the region’s history.
Whether these accounts are extraordinary coincidences, the products of collective memory, or genuine evidence of reincarnation remains one of life’s most tantalizing mysteries. For believers, they offer a glimpse into the possibility that our stories do not end with death. For skeptics, they are compelling puzzles waiting for rational explanations. Either way, they continue to spark passionate debate—and to challenge our understanding of life, death, and what might lie beyond.