"City of Jewish Forefathers" Top 5 Page for this destination Hebron by FruitLover

The Cave of Machpelah is, probably, the world's most ancient Jewish site. The cave and the adjoining field were purchased - at full market price - by the Patriarch Avraham some 3,700 years ago.

The double(machpelah means double, in Hebrew) cave, a mystery for thousands of years, was uncovered several years ago beneath the massive building, revealing artifacts from the Early Israelite Period (some 30 centuries ago).

The structure was built during the Second Temple Period (about 2,000 thousands ago) by Herod, King of Judea, providing a place for gatherings and Jewish prayers at the graves of the Patriarch.

This impressive building is the only one that stands intact and still fulfills its original function after thousands of years.

General View of Hebron

The name "Hebron" traces back to two Semitic roots, which coalesce in the form ḥbr, having reflexes in Hebrew, Amorite and Arabic, and denoting a range of meanings from "colleague", "unite", "friend" or "to be noisy".
In the proper name Hebron, the original sense may have been alliance. In Arabic, Ibrahim al-Khalil (ÅÈÑÇåíã ÇáÎáíá) means "Abraham the friend", according to Islamic teaching signifying that God chose Abraham as his friend. Arabic Al-Khalil thus precisely translates the ancient Hebrew toponym Ḥebron, understood as ḥaber (friend).