Hebron
The hill city whose old name, Kirjath-arba, the Bible explains as the city of Arba, 'a great man among the Anakim'.
- Location
- Judean hills, south of Jerusalem
- Modern country
- West Bank (State of Palestine)
- Old name
- Kirjath-arba, 'city of Arba'
- Monument
- Al-Ibrahimi Mosque / Tomb of the Patriarchs over the Cave of Machpelah
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (2017), on the danger list
What is Hebron known for?
Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the Judean hills, south of Jerusalem. It is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims as the burial place of Abraham and his family in the Cave of Machpelah. A monumental enclosure was built around the cave in the 1st century CE; today it holds the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, also called the Tomb of the Patriarchs. The Old Town, largely Mamluk in character, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
In the Bible, the spies sent by Moses scout the land around Hebron and report giants, the sons of Anak. Joshua 14–15 explains Hebron's old name, Kirjath-arba, as the city of Arba, 'a great man among the Anakims', and says Caleb drove out Anak's three sons. David later ruled from Hebron for seven years before taking Jerusalem.
The giants of Hebron are known only from biblical tradition; archaeology shows a long-lived Bronze Age town on the site.
The Bible's home of the Anakim, whose old name Kirjath-arba recalls 'a great man among the Anakims'.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeAnakim
- PersonAbraham (Abram)
- PersonAhiman, Sheshai and Talmai (sons of Anak)
- PersonJoshua
- PersonSarah (Sarai)
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 'Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town'Reference
- Joshua 14 (KJV), Bible GatewayPrimary text
- Wikipedia, 'Hebron'Reference
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