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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. 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. 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 the what the priestly source saw as the correct form of disposal of the dead - burial in a cave. 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; 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. 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. 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 Fatimids, and the whole enclosure was converted to a roofed mosque. 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Security and conflict 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, a Jewish fundamentalist, took a sub machine gun into the enclosure and murdered 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. 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 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. Present Structure
The caves
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 Judaism considers the site the second most sacred site after the Temple Mount,** 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: According to the midrash, the Patriarchs were buried in the cave because the cave is the threshold to the Garden of Eden. The Patriarcs are said not to be dead but "sleeping". They rise to beg mercy for their children throughout the generations. There is a Jewish tradition that there is good luck to pray at the tomb in order to get married and find the proper spouse. There are Hebrew prayers on the walls of the Sarah cenotaph of prayers to God to get married. 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. See also Citations and Notes | ||||||||||||||
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