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 Sanctuary of Abraham (Arabic: الحرم الإبراهيمي, romanized: al-Ḥaram al-Ibrāhīmī), 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, although most historians believe the Abraham-Isaac-Jacob narrative to be primarily mythological.
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. According to the Zohar[82] this tomb is the gateway through which souls enter into Gan Eden (heaven).
According to the Book of Genesis, Abraham specifically purchased the land for use as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite, making it one of two purchases by Abraham of real estate in the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land. The book describes how the three patriarchs and their wives, the matriarchs, were buried there.
- Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 23:1–20; Genesis 49:31)
- Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 35:29; Genesis 49:31)
- Jacob and Leah (Genesis 49:28–33; Genesis 50:4–5; Genesis 50:12–13)
The only matriarch missing is Jacob's other wife, Rachel, described in Genesis[74] as having been buried near Bethlehem.[75] These verses are the common source for the religious beliefs surrounding the cave.
Jewish midrashic literature avows that, in addition to the patriarch couples, Adam, the first man, and his wife, Eve, were also interred in the Cave of the Patriarchs,[76] a tradition supported by ancient Samaritan texts.[77] The tradition is supported by the simple wording of Genesis 23:2, which refers to "Kiryat Arba... Hevron" ("arba" means 'four')
The Tomb of the Matriarchs
The Tomb of the Matriarchs (Hebrew: קבר האמהות, Kever ha'Imahot) in Tiberias, Israel, is the traditional burial place of several biblical women:[1]