Cavern of the Patriarchs
Also known as Tomb of the Patriarchs, Cave of Machpelah, Ibrahami Mosque, Sanctuary of Ibrahim
series of caves located in the heart of the old city of Hebron
AI overview
The Cavern of the Patriarchs is a series of caves located in the heart of the old city of Hebron. It is considered a sacred site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as it is traditionally believed to be the burial place of biblical patriarchs and matriarchs.
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Key facts
- Type
- Tomb, mosque , synagogue
- Cultures
- Hebrew , Byzantine , Ayyubid , Crusader , Ottoman
- Location
- Hebron ( Palestinian Territories )
- Region
- West Bank
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Elevation
- 890
- Image
- Hebron Cave of the Patriarchs.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Cave of the Patriarchs
Sources (4)
~37 min read
Article
The Cave of the Patriarchs or Tomb of the Patriarchs, known to Jews by its Biblical name Cave of Machpelah (Biblical Hebrew: מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, romanized: Məʿāraṯ hamMaḵpēlā, lit. 'Cave of the Double') and to Muslims as the Ibrahami Mosque (Arabic: المسجد الإبراهيمي, romanized: al-Masjid al-ʾibrāhīmī), or Sanctuary of Ibrahim (Arabic: الحرم الإبراهيمي, romanized: al-Ḥaram al-ʾibrāhīmī), is a series of caves situated in the heart of the Old City of Hebron in the West Bank, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Jerusalem. According to the Abrahamic religions, the cave and adjoining field were purchased by Abraham as a burial plot. The site is considered a holy place in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Over the cave stands a large rectangular enclosure dating from the Herodian era. During Byzantine rule of the region, a Christian basilica was built on the site; the structure was converted into the Ibrahimi Mosque following the Muslim conquest of the Byzantines. By the 12th century, the mosque and its surrounding regions had fallen under Crusader-state control, but were retaken in 1188 by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin, who again converted the structure into a mosque. In 1119 CE, a monk found bones inside the cave, believing them to be the bones of the patriarchs.