Hebron

The city of Hebron is located 20 mi. [33 km.] southwest of Jerusalem. Roads from the Negev, from Arad to the south and Beersheba to the southwest join here making Hebron a natural meeting point of peoples from the Negev with those of the Hill Country of Judah.

Abraham purchased a cave here and buried his wife Sarah in it. In turn Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their spouses, were buried in Hebron. Joshua captured it and gave it to Caleb. Here David was made the king of Judah and later of both Judah and Israel. His son Absalom began his revolt here.

Today Hebron is a city of about 125,000 people - all of them Moslem Arabs save for about 500 Israelis who live in, or near, the city.

Excavations at Jebel er-Rumeideh have found remains from the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2400 B.C.), the Middle Bronze II (2000-1550 B.C.) and from the Israelite period (ca. 800 B.C.). The most prominent ancient structure in the city is the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Haram el-Khalil - the "sacred space of the friend [of God]" = Abraham).