Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob/Israel and Leah were all buried here in the Cave of Machpelah (Hebrew meaning “doubling”). Jacob/Israel’s favored wife Rachel is buried near Bethlehem. Located in the center of present day Hebron (also called Kirjath-arba) is the cave of Machpelah, called today the Tombs of the Patriarchs. Technically it should be called the Tombs of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. It is the second holiest place to the Jews, after the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is also a holy site to Christians, and to Muslims. Muslims call it Haram al-Khalil (Arabic meaning “Shrine of the Friend [meaning friend of God]”).
The interesting outer wall surrounding the cave was built by King Herod the Great in about 20 BC which makes it 2,100 years old! Above the lower courses of foundation stone he designed recessed columns. Each of the ascending columned stones is 1.5 centimeters (0.56 inches) wider that the course above it, giving the wall the appearance of being taller and lighter than it actually is. The grayish section on top as well as the minaret and side field stone mosque are a later Muslim addition. Originally, inside King Herod’s wall it was open to the sky as an open air Jewish pilgrimage shrine/synagogue in front of the cave entrance.
Later the Byzantines enclosed the walls with a church (between 324 to 640 AD). The church was converted into a Mosque by the conquering Arabs in the 7th century. It was turned back to being a church by the Crusaders in the 12th century only to be returned back into a Mosque by Suleiman the Magnificent later in the same century. Today it is divided into two sections, the larger being a Mosque and the other being a Synagogue. Inside the Mosque are the cenotaph memorials to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah. Inside the Synagogue are the cenotaph memorials to Jacob/Israel and Leah. The entrance to the Cave of Machpelah is sealed and not accessible. Christians may enter both sanctuaries, however, Jews and Muslims can only enter each other’s sanctuary on 10 specified days of the year.
The Biblical events of Abraham at Hebron are as follows:
1. Abram settles by the oaks of Mamre at Hebron (Genesis 13:18). Mamre was a meadow about 1.5 miles (3 km) northeast of Hebron, in the territory governed by Canaanite Hebron. Abraham lived at approximately 2100 BC.
2. God made a covenant with Abram and changed his name to Abraham (Genesis 17:3-5).
3. From Mamre Abraham armed his followers and rescued his nephew Lot at the northern city of Dan (incidentally he also rescued the captive people of Sodom and Gomorrah). Later, Abraham pleads for any righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah, but the cities were destroyed and only Lot and his two daughters were saved (see the links).
4. Three heavenly visitors pay a visit to Abraham and promise that Sarah will have a son (Genesis 18:1-16).
5. Sarah dies and Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah: “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her… That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you… And Ephron [the owner of the cave and adjacent field] answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant… And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.” Genesis 23:1-20.
6. Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah: “And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre.” Genesis 25:7-10.
7. Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah are buried: “the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I [Jacob] buried Leah.” Genesis 49:30-31.
8. Jacob/Israel is buried next to his wife Leah: “For his [Jacob’s] sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.” Genesis 50:13.
About 800-1000 years later, David is anointed king over Judah at Hebron, seven years before becoming king over all Israel (2 Samuel 2:1-4, 11). Becoming king of all of Israel causes David to move his capital from Judaean Hebron to neutral Jerusalem.
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2 responses to “Abraham Lived and Died at Hebron”
I learned so much. You bring the biblical history more to life & to my understanding. Many thanks.
thank you Don