Caute
1632-1677
Terra hic
Benedicti de Spinoza
in ecclesia nova olim sepulti
ossa tegit

English: Burial site of Benedictus de Spinoza in The Hague. Translation of the text: Be careful. 1632-1677. This earth covers the bones of Benedictus de Spinoza, once buried in the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk).

English: The grave of Dutch Jewish philosopher Benedict Spinoza (24 november 1632 – 21 februari 1677) at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) on the Spui in The Hague, the Netherlands. On 25 februari 1677, Spinoza's remains were borne to the church accompanied by six carriages and a large number of notable people, where he was buried not far from the grave of Johan de Witt. He could not be buried in the Jewish cemetery in The Hague as a cherem (boycott) had been imposed on him by the Jewish community of Amsterdam for his rationalist thought and his defence of liberalism. In the summer of 1956, 279 years later, his admirers erected a basalt tombstone behind the church with a portrait of Spinoza and the Hebrew word "עַמך" (amcha) meaning "your people" on it. The Jewish community of Amsterdam was represented by Georg Herz-Shikmoni (גאורג הרץ-שקמוני), a sign that Spinoza was once again recognized as a member of the community. The Latin inscription on a stone slab laid in the ground in front of the tombstone reads "Terra hic Benedicti de Spinoza in Ecclesia Nova olim sepulti ossa tegit" and means "The earth here covers the bones of Benedict de Spinoza, long interred in the New Church".