Also known as Kiriath-arba, Hebron is located about 30 km south of Jerusalem. It appears in Israelite consciousness as the city near where Abraham first settled in Canaan (Gen 13:18); at nearby Machpelah, he and Sarah were eventually buried (Gen 23:2-19 & 24:9) Here Isaac and Rebekah as well as Jacob and Leah were also later buried (Gen 49:31). The city continued to play a major role in the life of ancient Israel, and into modern times.
Hebron was located along the major N-S route that ran along the central ridge of the Judean highlands. Archaeological findings indicate it was a major Canaanite centre in the region, possibly the capital of a Canaanite empire. The origin of the name is uncertain. A Jewish tradition holds that it is derived from the Hebrew word haver, 'friend,' because Abraham was a friend of God (cf. 2 Chron 20:5). Arabs call the city Al-Khalil, Arab for 'friend,' and traces to the same tradition.
It was one of the first cities to be visited by the scouts sent out by Moses from Kadesh-Barnea to reconnoiter the land preparatory to conquering it (Num 13:22) and nearby they found the fertile Valley of Eshcol. Later, during Joshua's conquest of the land, Hoham the king of Hebron joined a coalition led by Adoni-zedek to attack the Gibeonites for their treaty with Israel (Jos 10:3-5). Israel, led by Joshua, in response to Gibeon's appeal for help, fought and defeated the coalition in the famous battle when the sun stood still. and later conquered Hebron (vv6-27). In the follow-up, Hebron was captured and Joshua and the surrounding region (vv27-42). Joshua later gave "the fields and villages around the city" to Caleb as his inheritance (14:13-15; 21:12) but the city itself was allocated to the descendants of Aaron, serving as a priestly city as well as a city of refuge (Jos 21:13; 1 Chron 6:55-57).
After the death of Saul, David—by divine instruction—moved to Hebron and there he was anointed king of Judah (2 Sam 2:1-4) and it remained his capital for the next seven and a half years until—after all the other tribes had submitted to him—he moved to Jerusalem which he had captured for himself. There in Hebron too David's first sons were born (2 Sam 23:2-5; 1 Chron 3:1-3).
Hebron became the base from which Absalom raised his support for his coup d'tat against his father (2 Sam 15:7-12). Rehoboam later fortified it in defense of his southern borders. The last we hear of the city in the Old Testament, it was once again occupied by the Jews who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Neh 11:25).
The Hasmoneans subdued and proselytized the Idumeans, and in the process captured the city and appointed Antipater to be its governor. From there Antipater climbed the ladder of power until his grandson Herod the Great would rule Judea as "King of the Jews." It was Herod the Great who built the enclosure to the tombs of the patriarchs into the form that we see today. This tomb-complex is archaeologically significant because it used the same method of construction as the Temple in Jerusalem, providing a concrete source of insights into what the Temple would have looked like. The site serves as a mosque and is the second holiest site, after Jerusalem, to the Muslims. Jews have also established there a synagogue, the only one within a cemetery.
The city is not mentioned in the NT.
The name Kiriath Arba as the city's synonym appears 9x in the Old Testament. Its meaning is is uncertain. Kiriath is a common Hebrew noun meaning 'city/town.' Jos 14:15 & 15:13 aver that it "used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites" and "Arba was the forefather of Anak." Some scholars suggest that it meant "the city of four" ('arba is Hebrew for 'four'); documentary support for it is, however, almost non-existent.
The modern city of Hebron is a highly contentious place. There were very few Jewish residents in Hebron prior to the founding of the modern state of Israel. The few were evacuated by the British when tensions rose dangerously during the British Mandate. The first attempt by modern Israelis to re-settle in Hebron came in 1968, when an extremist rabbi, Moshe Levinger led a group of Jews to celebrate the Passover in the Palestinian-owned El-Haled Hotel in Hebron, which he ha rented for the purpose. The day after the Passover, however, Levinger and his group refused to vacate the hotel as he had promised. Instead, the group turned the second-floor of the hotel into a seminary. As the group dragged its feet, the mayor of the city was forced to intervene, writing to the Israeli PM, Levi Eshkol to take action. The Israeli army arrived and agreed to move the group to a military camp set up on land confiscated from the Palestinians on "security ground," perhaps hoping that the hardship of living in such conditions would persuade them to leave. The group persisted, however. In the end the government was forced, for political reasons, to rebuild the site as a settlement for the group. It continued to grow. Their response to Moshe Dayan's plea to not raise their children to hate the Arabs was simple, "The Arabs must know that there is a master here—the Jewish people." The relationships between Palestinians and Israelis continued to worsen with the former on the receiving end as the settlers were emboldened by the Israeli army which tended to turn a blind eye.
The worst of the enmity came on a Friday in February 1994, when one of the settlers, Baruch Goldstein, arrived at the mosque that was part of the Patriarch's tomb complex and, with a gun and grenades (where would a settler get hold of such things?), and killed twenty-nine Palestinians who were at prayer, as well as wounding 125 others. When his gun ran out and he tried to reload, survivors of the first wave of violence pounded on him, killing him with whatever they could lay their hands on. When Oslo II was signed the following year, a 'Hebron Protocol' had to be crafted specially to deal with the situation in the city. Arafat insisted that the Protocol should be subject to monitor by foreign independent observers. The Jewish settlement is still there, expanded, and the tension remains, if not so overtly manifested. More insidious is that the incident set the pattern for subsequent would-be settlers to get their way around to force the government to give in to their demands and illegal tactics.
Further Reading:
Ahron Bregman, Cursed Victory. A History of Israel ad the Occupied Territories. London: Penguin, 2014. See, esp., pp.189-191.
Amos Elon, A Blood-Dimmed Tide. London: Penguin, 2000. See, esp., pp.49-65.
Anton La Guardia, Holy Land Unholy War. Israelis and Palestinians. New ed., revised and updated. London: John Murray, 2001. See, esp., pp.276-287,
Hebron, a community; alliance. (1.) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. It was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt" Ge 13:18 Nu 13:22 It still exists under the same name, and is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Its earlier name was Kirjath-arba Ge 23:2 Jos 14:15 15:3 But "Hebron would appear to have been the original name of the city, and it was not till after Abraham's stay there that it received the name Kirjath-arba, who i.e., Arba was not the founder but the conqueror of the city, having led thither the tribe of the Anakim, to which he belonged. It retained this name till it came into the possession of Caleb, when the Israelites restored the original name Hebron" (Keil, Com.). The name of this city does not occur in any of the prophets or in the New Testament. It is found about forty times in the Old. It was the favorite home of Abraham. Here he pitched his tent under the oaks of Mamre, by which name it came afterwards to be known; and here Sarah died, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah Ge 23:17-20 which he bought from Ephron the Hittite. From this place the patriarch departed for Egypt by way of Beersheba Ge 37:14 46:1 It was taken by Joshua and given to Caleb Jos 10:36,37 12:10 14:13 It became a Levitical city and a city of refuge Jos 20:7 21:11 When David became king of Judah this was his royal residence, and he resided here for seven and a half years 2Sa 5:5 and here he was anointed as king over all Israel 2Sa 2:1-4,11 1Ki 2:11 It became the residence also of the rebellious Absalom 2Sa 15:10 who probably expected to find his chief support in the tribe of Judah, now called el-Khulil. In one part of the modern city is a great mosque, which is built over the grave of Machpelah. The first European who was permitted to enter this mosque was the Prince of Wales in 1862. It was also visited by the Marquis of Bute in 1866, and by the late Emperor Frederick of Germany (then Crown-Prince of Prussia) in 1869. One of the largest oaks in Palestine is found in the valley of Eshcol, about 3 miles north of the town. It is supposed by some to be the tree under which Abraham pitched his tent, and is called "Abraham's oak." See OAK (2.) The third son of Kohath the Levite Ex 6:18 1Ch 6:2,18 (3.) 1Ch 2:42,43 (4.) A town in the north border of Asher Jos 19:28
A city in the hill country of Judah, originally Kirjath (the city of) Arba (Josh. 15:13; 14:15). "Arba was a great man among the Anakims, father of Anak." (See Josh. 21:11; Judg. 1:10.) Twenty Roman miles S. of Jerusalem, and twenty N. of Beersheba. Rivaling Damascus in antiquity. Built seven years before Zoan in Egypt (Num. 13:22). Well known at Abram's entrance into Canaan, 3,780 years ago (Gen. 42:18). Hebron was the original name, changed to Kirjath Arba during Israel's sojourn in Egypt, and restored by Caleb, to whom it was given at the conquest of Palestine (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 14:13-15). The third resting place of Abram; Shechem was the first, Bethel the second. Near Hebron was the cave of Machpelah, where he and Sarah were buried. Now El Khalil, the house of "the friend" of God. Over the cave is now the mosque El Haran, from which all but Muslims are excluded jealously (though the Prince of Wales was admitted), and in which probably lie the remains of Abraham and Isaac, and possibly Jacob's embalmed body, brought up in state from Egypt (Gen. 50:13). Near it was the oak or terebinth, a place of pagan worship. Hebron was called for a time also Mamre, from Abram's ally (Gen. 23:19; 35:27). It was made a Levite city of refuge (Josh. 21:11-13). Still there is an oak bearing Abraham's name, 23 ft. in girth, and covering 90 ft. space in diameter. In Hebron, David reigned over Judah first for seven and a half years (2 Sam. 5:5). Here Absalom set up the standard of revolt. On the return from Babylon some of the children of Judah dwelt in Kirjath Arba (Neh. 11:25). After various vicissitudes it fell into the Moslems' hands in A.D. 1187, and has continued so ever since.
It is picturesquely situated in a narrow valley running from N. to S. (probably that of Eshcol, whence the spies got the great cluster of grapes, Num. 13:23), surrounded by rocky hills, still famed for fine grapes. S. of the town in the bottom of the valley is a tank, 130 ft. square by 50 deep. At the western end is another, 85 ft. long by 55 broad. Over the former probably David hung Ishbosheth's murderers (2 Sam. 4:12).
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