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:This article is about the place in the Middle East. For other uses of the name, see Hebron (disambiguation). Hebron (Arabic al-Ḫalīl or al Khalīl Hebrew , Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: both derived from the word "friend"); is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank. It has around 170,000 Palestinians and 500 Israeli settlers. It lies 3,050 feet (930 m) above sea level. Hebron comes from the Hebrew name for the city, which ultimately derives from חבר (habar 598) meaning be joined, coupled, allied. The name Hebron is from the same root as Heber. In Arabic, "إبراهيم الخليل" means "Ibrahim the friend" signifying that Allah (God) has chosen Ibrahim (Abraham) as his friend according to Islamic teachings. Hebron is located 30 km south of Jerusalem. Hebron is famous for its grapes, limestones, pottery workshops and glassblowing factories. It is also location of the major diary product manufacturer Al-Juneidi. The old city of Hebron is characterized by its narrow and winding streets, the flat-roofed stone houses, and the old bazaars. It is the home of Hebron University and Palestine Polytechnic University. The most famous historical site in Hebron sits on the Tomb of the Patriarchs or Cave of Machpelah (Hebrew: מערת המכפלה, or Me'arat ha-Machpelah; Arabic: الحرم الإبراهيمي, or al-Haram al-Ibrahimi "The Sanctuary of Abraham"). The site is considered holy by all three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, Abraham purchased this cave and the field around it to bury his wife Sarah. Jews believe that Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah are buried in the cave (the remaining Matriarch, Rachel is buried outside of Bethlehem). For this reason the city is also called by Jews "City of the Patriachs" and it's one of the 4 holiest cities in Judaism (together with Jerusalem, Tveria and Tzfat). The cave itelf is the second holiest site in Judaism, and Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques have been built on this site throughout history (see "History", below). Today, the Ibrahimi Mosque comprises the Isaac Hall; the Abraham Hall and Jacob Hall are used as a synagogue by Jews. Ancient period Hebron is one of the most ancient cities in the Middle East, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Hebron was an ancient Canaanite royal city, which according to archaeological findings was probably founded in the 35th century BCE, and mentioned in the Bible as existing during the 18th century BCE. Hebron is mentioned as being formerly called Kirjath-arba, before being conquered by Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 14). Hebron became one of the principle centers of the Tribe of Judah, and the Judahite David was anointed King of Israel in Hebron and reigned in the city until the capture of Jerusalem, when the capital of the Kingdom of Israel was moved to that city. Jar handle stamps bearing Hebrew letters dating from 700 BCE, the oldest known inscription naming the city, have been found in Hebron (see LMLK seal). After the destruction of the First Temple, most of the Jewish inhabitants of Hebron were exiled and their place was taken by Edomites at about 587 BCE. Herod the Great built the wall which still surrounds the Cave of Machpelah. During the first war against the Romans, Hebron was conquered by Simon Bar Giora, the leader of the Sicarii. Eventually it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I erected a Christian church over the Cave of Machpelah in the 6th century CE which was later destroyed by the Sassanids. Medieval period
Ottoman rule With the advent of Ottoman Turkish rule in 1516-17, there was a violent pogrom in with many Jews were raped and killed and Jewish homes were plundered. Throughout the Ottoman Empire rule, (1517-1917), groups of Jews from other parts of the Land of Israel, and exiles from Spain and other parts of the diaspora and settled there. Hebron at this time became a center of Jewish learning. In 1540 Rabbi Malkiel Ashkenazi bought a courtyard and established the Abraham Avinu Synagogue. In 1807, the Jewish community purchased a 5-dunam plot upon which the city's wholesale market stands today. Another pogrom took place in 1834. In 1831, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt took over Hebron until 1840. Under the British mandate In December 1917 and during World War I, the British occupied Hebron. In 1929, 67 Jews were killed, 60 wounded, and Jewish homes and synagogues ransacked in the anti-Jewish 1929 Hebron massacre. Two years later, 35 families moved back into the ruins of the Jewish quarter, but after further riots, the British Government decided to move all Jews out of Hebron "to prevent another massacre". Hebron remained as a part of the British mandate until 1948. Jordanian rule Following the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the Jordan took over the control of Hebron and the rest of the West Bank. During this time, Israelis were not allowed to enter the West Bank. . During this time, the Jewish Quarter was destroyed the Jewish cemetery was desecrated, and an animal pen was built on the ruins of the Abraham Avinu Synagogue. Israeli rule After the Six Day War, in June 1967, Hebron and the rest of the West Bank came under Israeli control (See Israeli-occupied territories). In 1969, a group of Jewish settlers began to reside in the city, though a government compromise soon focused the Jewish presence to the east in the new settlement of Kiryat Arba. Beginning in 1979, Jewish settlers moved from Kiryat Arba to the old Avraham Avinu neighborhood, and later to other Hebron neighborhoods including Tel Rumeida. Post Oslo Accord Since early 1997 the city has been divided into two sectors: H1 and H2. The H1 sector, home to around 120,000 Palestinians, came under the control of the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with Hebron Protocol. H2, which comprised of around 30,000 Palestinians, remained under Israeli control due to the presence of around 500 Jewish Israeli settlers living in an enclave near the center of the town. During the last five years, the Palestinian population in H2 has decreased by 20,000 and the current figures show that only around 10,000 Palestinians continue to live in this sector. This has been attributed to continued harassment of the Palestinians by the settlers, as well as extended curfews and restrictions placed on Palestinian residents of the sector by the IDF. Funds from Arab nations earmarked for the reconstruction of homes in Hebron destroyed by Israeli bulldozers during the second intifada was reported to have reached PA leaders close to Yasser Arafat rather than the intended recipients. In 1994, an Israeli Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims at prayer in the Ibrahimi Mosque, killing 29. This event was condemned by the Israeli Government and polled Israelis. Israel banned the right-wing Kach movement as a result. A year later, the Mayor of Hebron invited the Christian Peacemaker Teams to assist them the local Palestinian community in opposition to what they describe as Israeli military occupation, collective punishment, settler harassment, home demolitions and land confiscation. They have maintained a presence in the community despite attacks against them, the most noted being in 2004 when two corps members, Kimberly Lamberty and Christopher Brown were attacked while walking Palestinian Children to school Washington Post account. Accounts of the CPT presence can be found in Art Gish's "Hebron Journal." The UN subsequently established an international unarmed observer force - the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) to maintain a buffer between the Palestinian Arab population of the city and the Jews residing in their enclave in the old city. On February 8, 2006, TIPH temporarily left Hebron after attacks on their headquarters by some Palestinians angered by the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. Demographics thoroughout history Controversy: Jewish settlement after 1967 Following the Six-Day War of 1967, a group of Jews disguised as tourists, led by Rabbi Moshe Levinger, took over the main hotel in Hebron and refused to leave. They later moved to a nearby abandoned army camp and established the settlement of Kiryat Arba. In 1979, Levinger's wife led 30 Jewish women to take over the Daboya Hospital (Beit Hadassah) in central Hebron. Before long this received Israeli government approval and further Jewish enclaves in the city were established with army assistance. This process of expansion of the Jewish presence is continuing and there are now more than 20 Jewish settlements in and around the city. Jews living in these settlements and their supporters claim that they are resettling areas where Jews have lived since time immemorial, but the presence of Israeli settlements in these areas is condemned by many foreign governments and the United Nations as a violation of international law. The sentiments of Jews who fled the 1929 Hebron massacre are mixed. For example, in 1997, an association comprised of some descendants of pre-1929 Jewish residents of Hebron published a statement dissociating themselves from the then-current Jewish settlers in Hebron, calling them an obstacle to peace. On May 15, 2006, remnants of the previous 800 member community that fled 1929 Hebron massacre, while urging the government, in their names, to continue its support of Jewish settlement in Hebron, sent the government a letter urging it to allow the return of eight Jewish families evacuated last January from the homes they set up in empty shops by the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. Cultural, historical and sporting landmarks Adjacent to the municipality building, Hebron archaeological museum has a collection of artifacts from the Cannanite to the Islamic periods. The Oak Of Abraham, also called Oak of Mamre is an ancient oak tree which marks the place where according to tradition Abraham pitched his tent. It is estimated that this oak is approximately 5000 years old. The Russian Orthodox Church owns the site and the nearby monastery. Other notable sites are The Well of Abraham and the tombs of Abner ben Ner (the commander of David's army), Ruth and Jesse. Languages and accents Palestinian Hebronites are known amongst the Levant for their distinguished colloquial Arabic accent. Hebronites speak while stretching their words giving it a long musical sound. Notable people relating to Hebron See also | |||||||||
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