The Enclosure of the Cave of the Patriarchs

The Cave of the Patriarchs is a religious compound located in the ancient city of Hebron (which lies in the southwest part of the West Bank, in the heart of ancient Judea), and is generally considered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, to be its spiritual centre. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition holds that the compound encloses the burial place of four Biblical couples: (1) Adam and Eve; (2) Abraham and Sarah; (3) Isaac and Rebekah; (4) Jacob and Leah. According to Midrashic sources, it also contains the head of Esau. Image File history File links Cave_of_the_Patriarchs. ... Image File history File links Cave_of_the_Patriarchs. ... The mostly deserted market in the old city. ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Sarah (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Ishaq be merged into this article or section. ... Rebekah (Rebecca or Rivkah) (רִבְקָה Captivating, Enchantingly Beautiful, Noose or Snare, Standard Hebrew Rivqa, Tiberian Hebrew Riḇqāh) is the wife of Isaac. ... Jacob or Yaakov, (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: يعقوب, ; holds the heel), also known as Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: اسرائيل, ; Struggled with God), is the third Biblical patriarch. ... Look up Leah, לֵאָה in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... Esau (Hebrew עֵשָׂו, Standard Hebrew Ê¿Esav, Tiberian Hebrew ʿĒśāw) is the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the older twin brother of Jacob in the biblical Book of Genesis, who, in the Torah, was tricked by Jacob into giving up his birthright (leadership of Israel) for a mess of pottage (meal...

In English it is also sometimes referred to as The Cave of Machpela, a phrase constituting a partial translation of its Hebrew name - Me'arat HaMakhpela (מערת המכפלה), meaning either cave of the double tombs or cave of the tombs of doubles (there is some debate as to whether the term refers to the layout of the caves, or the manner of burials). At the present time, the caves themselves are located underneath a stone building, and are not generally accessible; 81% of the stone building is used as a mosque, referred to as the Ibrahimi Mosque (or 'Sanctuary of Abraham', Arabic: الحرم الإبراهيمي Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi (help· info)) and the remainder as a synagogue. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... Image File history File links ArIbrahimiMosque. ... A synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת ; beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: שול, shul; Ladino אסנוגה esnoga) is a Jewish place of religious worship. ...

The synagogue portion was built in 1994 after Israel closed the mosque following Baruch Goldstein massacre of Muslim worshippers [Hebron Journal, Art Gish pg 8].

Biblical Origin

According to the text of the Book of Genesis, the location for the site was purchased from a Hittite (named Ephron) by the Biblical (Hebrew Patriarch) Abraham, as a burial plot for his family after his wife Sarah dies, for the price of 400 silver shekels^[1]. The text only twice refers to the cave as the cave of [Machpelah], and elsewhere designates the cave as the cave of the field of the [Machpelah], suggesting that the term Machpelah may not actually be intended to describe the cave, but something else, such as a former owner. Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Relief of Suppiluliuma II, last known king of the Hittite Empire The Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language, and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa (Hittite URU) in north-central Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite empire was... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Hebrews (or Heberites, Eberites, Hebreians; Hebrew: עברים or עבריים, Standard , Tiberian , ; meaning descendants of biblical Patriarch Eber), were people who lived in Canaan, an area encompassing Israel, both banks of the Jordan River (The West Bank and Jordan), Sinai, Lebanon, and the coastal portions of Syria. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Sarah (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Silver half-shekel struck in the Greek colony of Taras, during the Punic occupation. ...

Textual scholars attribute this passage to the priestly source, and regard it as an attempt to establish a land claim to Hebron, to assert Hebron's national importance (Hebron was a major city to the Aaronids) or to assert what the priestly source saw as the correct form of disposal of the dead - burial in a cave^[2]. Textual criticism or lower criticism is a branch of philology or bibliography that is concerned with the identification and removal of errors from texts. ... The Priestly Source (P) is one of the sources of the Torah postulated by the documentary hypothesis. ... Aaron (אַהֲרֹן, a word meaning bearer of martyrs in Hebrew (perhaps also, or instead, related to the Egyptian Aha Rw, Warrior Lion), Standard Hebrew Aharon, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAhărōn), was one of two brothers who play a unique part in the history of the Hebrew people. ...

According to Biblical scholars, the presence of a Hittite is anachronistic, particularly the claim that the Hittites were the people of the land in which Abraham was a stranger^[3]; the Hittite empire didn't extend into Canaan until the late 14th century BCE, only just before the The Exodus (which the Bible places many generations after Abraham) in traditional chronologies, and over a century after the date in the New Chronology of David Rohl. In the 19th century BCE, or 21st century BCE, the dates under the respective chronologies for Abraham, Hittites barely existed as a distinct people at all. It is also possible, however, that Hittite, in this case, does not refer to the distinct people group. The Hebrew word can also be rendered Son of Heth, and so could possibly refer only to Heth's children and/or grandchildren. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Canaan (Canaanite: כנען, Hebrew: , Greek: Χαναάν whence Latin: Canaan; and from Hebrew, Aramaic: whence Arabic: ‎). Canaan is an ancient term for a region approximating present-day Israel(94%.) and West Bank and Gaza plus adjoining coastal lands and parts of Lebanon and Syria. ... The Exodus, more fully The Exodus of Israel out of Egypt, was the departure of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron as described in the biblical Book of Exodus. ... The New Chronology of Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko is an attempt to rewrite world chronology, based on his conclusion that world chronology as we know it today is fundamentally flawed. ... David M. Rohl is a British Egyptologist and historian who has put forth several controversial theories concerning the chronology of Ancient Egypt and Palestine. ... The Hittites (also Hethites) and Children of Heth, translating Hebrew HTY and BNY-HT are the second of the eleven Canaanite nations in the Hebrew Bible. ...

Post-Biblical History

Structural changes

Herod the Great built a large rectangular enclosure over the caves, which is the only Herodian structure still completely surviving anywhere. Herod's structure, made from 6ft thick stone walls, from stones that were at least 3ft tall and sometimes reach up to a length of 24ft, did not have a roof. Archaeologists are not, however, certain where the original entrance to the enclosure was, or even if there was one^[4]. Hordos (Hebrew: הוֹרְדוֹס, ; Greek: , ; trad. ...

Until the time of the Byzantine Empire, the inside of the enclosure remained exposed to the sky, but under Byzantine rule a simple basilica was constructed at the southeastern end, and was roofed everywhere except at the centre. In 614, the Persians conquered the area and destroyed the church, leaving only ruins, but in 637, the area came under the control of the Muslims, and the whole enclosure was converted to a roofed mosque. Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... St. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (Irān - Land of the Aryans[1]) and beyond. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ...

During the 10th century, an entrance was pierced into the north-eastern wall, some way above the external ground level, and steps from the north and from the east were built up to it (one set of steps for entering, the other for leaving)^[5]. A building known as the kalah (castle) was also constructed near the middle of the south western side; its purpose is unknown but one historic account claims that it marked the spot where Joseph was buried (cf Joseph's tomb), the area having been excavated by a muslim caliph, acting under a local tradition about Joseph's tomb^[6]. Some archaeologists believe that the original entrance to Herod's structure was in the location of the kalah, and that the northeastern entrance was created so that the kalah could be built by the former entrance^[7]. Joseph interprets the dream of the Pharaoh. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Caliph is the title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ...

In 1100, the enclosure once again became a church, after the area was captured by the Crusaders, and Muslims were no longer permitted to enter; during this period the area was given a new gabled roof, clerestory windows, and vaulting. However, in 1188, Saladin conquered the area, reconverting the enclosure to a mosque, but allowing Christians to continue worshipping there. Saladin also added a minaret at each corner - two of which still survive - and the minbar^[8]. The Siege of Antioch, from a medieval miniature painting, during the First Crusade. ... gables may refer to: Gable (architecture) Coral Gables, Florida This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... The Lierne vault of the Liebfrauenkirche, Mühlacker 1482. ... Artistic representation of Saladin. ... Minarets (Arabic manara منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. ... A Minbar (Arabic: منبر) is a pulpit in the mosque where the Imam (leader of prayer) stands to deliver sermons (khutbah خطبه ). The minbar is usually shaped as a small tower with a pointed roof and with a stair leading up to it. ...

In the late 14th century, under the Marmalukes, two additional entrances were pierced into the western end of the south western side, and the kalah was extended upwards to the level of the rest of the enclosure; a cenotaph in memory of Joseph was created in the upper level of the kalah, so that visitors to the enclosure would not need to leave and travel round the outside just to pay respects^[9]. The Marmalukes also built the northwestern staircase and the six cenotaphs (for Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, Abraham, and Sarah, respectiveley), distributed evenly throughout the enclosure. The Marmalukes forbade Jews from entering the site, only allowing them as close as the 5th step on a staircase at the southeast, but after some time this was increased to the 7th step. A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn in 1810 A mamluk (Arabic: مملوك (singular), مماليك (plural), owned; also transliterated mameluk, mameluke, or mamluke) was a slave soldier who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid sultans during the Middle Ages. ... The Cenotaph, London A ceremony at the Cenotaph, London, on Sunday 12th June 2005, remembering Irish war dead Memorial Cenotaph, Hiroshima, Japan A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. ...

Security and conflict

A security camera watches 24 hours a day inside the Tomb of Abraham Mosque

After the Six Day War, the area came under the control of Israel, and the restriction limiting Jews to the 7th step was lifted. However, in 1994 Baruch Goldstein, took a sub machine gun into the enclosure and killed 29 Palestinian Muslims who had been at prayer, as well as injuring 125 others, before being bludgeoned to death by survivors. The resulting riots left an additional 26 Palestinians and 9 Israelis dead, and the incident provoked national and international condemnation of Goldstein's actions. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3008x2000, 3012 KB) Hebron. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3008x2000, 3012 KB) Hebron. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Baruch Kappel Goldstein (December 9 or December 12, 1956–February 25, 1994, Hebrew: ) was an American-Israeli settler who perpetrated the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre in Hebron, West Bank, killing 29 attendants of a mosque and wounding 150 in a shooting attack. ... An MP5A4 (fixed stock and 3-round burst trigger group) A submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the ammunition of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size. ... The facade and minarets of the Cave of the Patriarchs. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ...

The increased sensitivity of the site meant that in 1995 the Wye River Accords, part of the Arab-Israeli peace process, included a temporary status agreement for the site, restricting access by both Jews and Muslims. As part of this agreement, the waqf controls 81% of the building, including the whole of the southeastern section, which lies above the only known entrance to the caves, and possibly over the entirety of the caves themselves. In consequence, Jews are not permitted to visit the Cenotaphs of Isaac or Rebekah, which lie entirely within the southeastern section, except for 10 days a year which hold special significance in Judaism. One of these days is the Shabbat of Haye Sarah, when the Jews read the Torah portion concerning the death of Abraham and Sarah, and that concerning the purchase by Abraham of the land in which the caves are situated. The Wye River Memorandum was a political agreement negotiated to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 28 September, 1995 brokered by the United States between Israel and the Palestine Authority completed on October 23, 1998. ... Combatants Arab nations Israel Arab-Israeli conflict series History of the Arab-Israeli conflict Views of the Arab-Israeli conflict International law and the Arab-Israeli conflict Arab-Israeli conflict facts, figures, and statistics Participants Israeli-Palestinian conflict · Israel-Lebanon conflict · Arab League · Soviet Union / Russia · Israel and the United... The shabbos table is set: two covered challahs, a kiddush cup, two candles, and flowers. ... Torah reading (in Hebrew: Kriat HaTorah or Reading [of] the Torah) has followed a steady pattern for the past two thousand years following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and is still practiced by Orthodox Judaism and its adherents. ...

The Israeli authorities (who are mainly secular) do not allow Jewish religious authorities the right to maintain the site, and only allow the waqf to do so. Tourists are permitted to enter the site, but have to be escorted either around the Jewish section by Israeli tour guides, or around the Islamic section by Islamic guides, depending on the religion of the tourists in question. Security at the site has increased since the Intifada, and the Israel Defense Forces surround the site with soldiers, and control access to the shrine; there are additional restrictions placed on access by Palestinians beyond the restrictions imposed on Muslims in general by the Wye River Accords. Intifada (also Intefadah or Intifadah; from ‎ shaking off) is an Arabic term for uprising. It came into common usage in English as the popularized name for two recent Palestinian campaigns directed at ending the Israeli military occupation. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ×”×’× ×” לישראל  , [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated with the Hebrew acronym צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels military forces, comprising the Israeli Army, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Navy. ...

Present Structure

The rectangular stone enclosure lies on a northwest-southeast axis, and is divided into two sections by a wall running between the northwestern three fifths, and the southeastern two fifths. The northwestern section is roofed on three sides, the central area and north eastern side being open to the sky; the southeastern section is fully roofed, the roof being supported by four columns evenly distributed through the section.

Cenotaph of Abraham

In the northwestern section are four cenotaphs, each housed in a separate octagonal room, those dedicated to Jacob and Leah being on the northwest, and those to Abraham and Sarah on the southeast. A corridor runs between the cenotaphs on the northwest, and another between those on the southeast. A third corridor runs the length of the southwestern side, through which access to the cenotaphs, and to the southeastern section, can be gained. An entrance to the enclosure exists on the southwestern side, entering this third corridor; a mosque outside this entrance must be passed through to gain access. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 976 KB) Summary Tomb of Abraham, cenotaph above the cave traditionally considered to be the burial place of Abraham and Sarah in the Cave of the Patriarchs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 976 KB) Summary Tomb of Abraham, cenotaph above the cave traditionally considered to be the burial place of Abraham and Sarah in the Cave of the Patriarchs. ... The Cenotaph, London A ceremony at the Cenotaph, London, on Sunday 12th June 2005, remembering Irish war dead Memorial Cenotaph, Hiroshima, Japan A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. ...

At the centre of the northeastern side, there is another entrance, which enters the roofed area on the southeastern side of the northwestern section, and through which access can also be gained to the southeastern (fully roofed) section. This entrance is approached on the outside by a corridor which leads from a long staircase running most of the length of the northwestern side^[10]. The southeastern section, which functions primarily as a mosque, contains two cenotaphs, symmetrically placed, near the centre, dedicated to Isaac and Rebekah. Between them, in the southeastern wall, is a mihrab. The cenotaphs have a distinctive red and white horizontal striped pattern to their stonework, but are usually covered by decorative cloth. Mihrab (in Persian مهراب or محراب, in Arabic ألمحراب pl. ...

Under the present arrangements, Jews are restricted to entering by the southwestern side, and limited to the southwestern corridor and the corridors which run between the cenotaphs, while Muslims may only enter by the northeastern side, and are restricted to the remainder of the enclosure.

The caves

The more visible known entrance to the caves^[11]

The caves under the enclosure are not themselves generally accessible; the waqf have historically been keen to prevent access to the actual tombs as a mark of respect for the dead. Only two entrances are known to exist, the most visible of which is located to the immediate southeast of Abraham's cenotaph, on the inside of the southeastern section; this entrance is a narrow shaft covered by a decorative grate, which itself is covered by an elaborate dome. The other entrance is located to the southeast, near the minbar, and is sealed by a large stone, and usually covered by prayer mats; this is very close to the location of the seventh step on the outside of the enclosure, beyond which the Mamelukes forbade Jews from approaching. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 681 KB) In the mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, this grate allows visitors to look down into the 40-foot shaft leading to the ground level of the cave where Abraham and Sarah are buried. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 681 KB) In the mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, this grate allows visitors to look down into the 40-foot shaft leading to the ground level of the cave where Abraham and Sarah are buried. ... A waqf (Arabic: وقف, plural awqāf) is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically devoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. ... A Minbar (Arabic: منبر) is a pulpit in the mosque where the Imam (leader of prayer) stands to deliver sermons (khutbah خطبه ). The minbar is usually shaped as a small tower with a pointed roof and with a stair leading up to it. ... Typical manufactured prayer mat showing the Kaaba A prayer mat or prayer rug, (in Arabic, سجادة sajada (plural sajjad) or musallah, in Persian: جانماز Janamaz), is a piece of fabric (often decorated) used by Muslims during their five daily prayers (Salat). ...

When the enclosure was controlled by crusaders, access was occasionally possible. One account, by Benjamin of Toleda, a rabbi, dating from 1163AD, states that after passing through an iron door, and descending, the caves would be encountered. According to Benjamin of Toleda, there was a sequence of three caves, the first two of which were empty; Benjamin states that in the third cave were six tombs, arranged to be opposite to one another^[12]. For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy Rabbi (Sephardic Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī; Ashkenazi Hebrew רֶבִּי rebbī or rebbə; and modern Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished (in...

These caves had only been rediscovered in 1119AD, by a monk named Arnoul, who had noticed a draught in the area near where the minbar is at present, and had removed the flagstones and found a room lined with Herodian masonry. Arnoul, still searching for the source of the draught, hammered on the cave walls until he heard a hollow sound, pulled down the masonry in that area, and discovered a narrow passage. The narrow passage, which subsequently became known as the serdab (Arabic for passage), was similarly lined with masonry, but partly blocked up; having unblocked the passage Arnoul discovered a large round room with plastered walls. In the floor of the room he found a square stone slightly different from the others, and upon removing it found the first of the caves. The caves were filled with dust, and after removing the dust, Arnoul found bones; believing the bones to be those of the Biblical Patriarchs, Arnoul washed them in wine, and stacked them neatly. Arnoul carved inscriptions into the caves describing whose bones he believed them to be^[13] . This passage to the caves was sealed at some time after Saladin had recaptured the area, though the roof of the circular room was pierced, and a decorative grate was placed over it. In 1967, after the Six Day War, the area fell into the hands of the Israeli Defence Force, and Moshe Dayan, the Defence Minister, and an amateur archaeologist, attempted to regain access to the tombs. Dayan, not knowing about the serdab entrance, started investigating the shaft visible beyond the decorative grate, and came up with the idea of sending someone thin enough through the shaft and down into the chamber below. Dayan eventually found a slim girl named Michal and sent her into the chamber^[14]. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Artistic representation of Saladin. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces... Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan, DSO (Hebrew: משה דיין) (May 20, 1915 – October 16, 1981), was an Israeli military leader and politician. ...

Michal explored the round chamber, but failed to spot the stone in the floor that lead to the caves; Michal did however explore the passage and find steps leading up to the surface, though the exit was blocked by a large stone (this is the entrance near the minbar)^[15]. According to the report of her findings, which Michal gave to Dayan after having been lifted back through the shaft, there are 16 steps leading down into the passage, which is 1 cubit wide, 57ft long, and 3.5ft high. In the round chamber, which is 40ft below the entrance to the shaft, there are three stone slabs, the middle one of which contains a partial inscription of Sura 2, verse 255, from the Qu'ran^[16]. Sura (sometimes referred to as Surah) ( ) is an Arabic term literally meaning picture, evidence, or proof. ... The Quran ( Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; its literal meaning is the recitation and is often called Al Quran Al Karim: The Noble Quran, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book...

A few English language Christian Zionist websites [1][2], claim that Seev Jevin, a former director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, gave an interview to Nachrichten aus Israel, a German Christian Fundamentalist news website, in which he claimed to have entered the passage in 1981. According to these reports, Jevin was permitted by the waqf to enter the chamber via the entrance near the mihrab, and upon doing so discovered the square stone in the round chamber that concealed the cave entrance; the reports state that after entering the first cave, which Jevin regarded as empty, he found a passage leading to a second oval chamber, smaller than the first, which contained shards of pottery and a wine jug. The claims concerning this interview and its accuracy are unconfirmed. A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ...

Religious stances

Both Judaism and Islam agree that entombed within are the Biblical and Qur'anic patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) as well as three matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah), as well as Adam and Eve. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎, literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ishaq be merged into this article or section. ... Jacob or Yaakov, (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: يعقوب, ; holds the heel), also known as Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: اسرائيل, ; Struggled with God), is the third Biblical patriarch. ... For other uses, see Sarah (disambiguation). ... Rebekah (Rebecca or Rivkah) (רִבְקָה Captivating, Enchantingly Beautiful, Noose or Snare, Standard Hebrew Rivqa, Tiberian Hebrew Riḇqāh) is the wife of Isaac. ... Look up Leah, לֵאָה in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Judaism

Judaism considers the site the second most sacred site after the Temple Mount,[3][4] as well as the first material purchase of real estate by the Hebrew Abraham in the Land of Canaan (the "Promised Land"). According to Jewish tradition, four Biblical and primal patriarchal couples mentioned in the Book of Genesis are buried there: Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... The Temple Mount as it appears today. ... According to the Bible, the Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisrael) was promised to the descendants of Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by God, making it the Promised land. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ...

• Adam and Eve
• Abraham and Sarah
• Isaac and Rebekah
• Jacob and Leah - Jacob's other wife, Rachel, being buried near Bethlehem according to tradition.

According to the midrash, the Patriarchs were buried in the cave because the cave is the threshold to the Garden of Eden. The Patriarchs are said not to be dead but "sleeping". They rise to beg mercy for their children throughout the generations. Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Sarah (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Ishaq be merged into this article or section. ... Rebekah (Rebecca or Rivkah) (רִבְקָה Captivating, Enchantingly Beautiful, Noose or Snare, Standard Hebrew Rivqa, Tiberian Hebrew Riḇqāh) is the wife of Isaac. ... Jacob or Yaakov, (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: يعقوب, ; holds the heel), also known as Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard  Tiberian ; Arabic: اسرائيل, ; Struggled with God), is the third Biblical patriarch. ... Look up Leah, לֵאָה in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Rachel (Hebrew: , Russian: , also spelled Rachael) Ewe, also innocence and gentility of a rose and may mean lovely. Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew , ) is the second and favorite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, first mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. ... Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم   house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem; Greek: Βηθλεέμ) is a city in the West Bank under Palestinian Authority considered a central hub of Palestinian cultural and tourism industries. ... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... The Fall of Man by Lucas Cranach, a 16th century German depiction of Eden The Garden of Eden (from Hebrew Gan Ä’den, גַּן עֵדֶן) is described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man—Adam—and woman—Eve—lived after they were created by God. ...

There is a Jewish tradition that praying at the Tomb will bring good fortune in finding a proper spouse. There are Hebrew prayers of supplication for marriage on the walls of the Sarah cenotaph.

Islam

The enclosure is known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, as Abraham is a revered prophet of Islam who, according to the Qur'an, built the Kaaba in Mecca with his son Ishmael. After the conquest of the city by Umar the Herodian enclosure was rebuilt as a mosque for this reason, and placed under the control of a waqf - a traditional "trust" holding land for Islamic religious purposes. The waqf continues to control and maintain most of the site. A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... It has been suggested that Abraham (Hebrew Bible) be merged into this article or section. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎, literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... Picture of the Kaaba with Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) The Kaaba (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), also known as al-Ka‘abatu’l-Musharrafat ( ‎), al-Baytu l-‘AtÄ«q ( ‎ The Primordial House), or al-Baytu’l-Ḥarām ( ‎ The Sacred House), is a large cuboidal building located inside the mosque known... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... Expulsion of Ishmael and His Mother. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... `Umar ibn al-Khattāb (in Arabic, عمر بن الخطاب) (c. ... A waqf (Arabic: وقف, plural awqāf) is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically devoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. ... In common law legal systems, a trust is a contractual relationship in which a person or entity (the trustee) has legal title to certain property (the trust property or trust corpus), but is bound by a fiduciary duty to exercise that legal control for the benefit of one or more...

See also

• Burial places of founders of world religions

// The shrine where Baháulláh is buried, from above. ...

Citations and Notes

1. ^ Genesis 23
2. ^ Richard Elliott Friedman, Who wrote the Bible?
3. ^ Peake's commentary on the Bible
4. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review, Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years, May/June 1985
5. ^ ibid
6. ^ ibid
7. ^ ibid
8. ^ ibid
9. ^ ibid
10. ^ a floorplan
11. ^ a wider image of the same side
12. ^ International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
13. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review, Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years, May/June 1985
14. ^ photograph of Michal descending through the grated shaft
15. ^ Biblical Archaeology Review, as above
16. ^ ibid

Richard Elliot Friedman is a writer and Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at UCSD. He is also Katzin Professor of Jewish Civilization: Hebrew Bible; Near Eastern Languages and Literatures. ... The Biblical Archaeology Review (illuminating archaeology and the Bible) is the organ of the non-denominational Bible Archaeology Society which has been combining the excitement of archaeology and the latest in Bible scholarship since 1974 [1]. The Societys founder and editor-in-chief is Hershel Shanks. ... The Biblical Archaeology Review (illuminating archaeology and the Bible) is the organ of the non-denominational Bible Archaeology Society which has been combining the excitement of archaeology and the latest in Bible scholarship since 1974 [1]. The Societys founder and editor-in-chief is Hershel Shanks. ... The Biblical Archaeology Review (illuminating archaeology and the Bible) is the organ of the non-denominational Bible Archaeology Society which has been combining the excitement of archaeology and the latest in Bible scholarship since 1974 [1]. The Societys founder and editor-in-chief is Hershel Shanks. ...

External links

• The Cave of Machpelah Tomb of the Patriarch at jewishvirtuallibrary
• Demands for Equal Rights for the Jewish People at Ma'arat HaMachpela
• Official site of the Cave (Israeli)
• Aerial Photograph at Google Maps