Cave of the Patriarchs

the Cave of the Patriarchs

map of the Cave of the Patriarchs

The Cave of the Patriarchs, also called the Cave of Machpelah (Hebrew: מערת המכפלה, Me'arat ha-Makhpela (info • help), trans. "cave of the double tombs") and known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or the Ibrahimi Mosque (Arabic: الحرم الإبراهيمي, al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (info • help)) is an archaeological site in Hebron, Israel. According to the Jewish tradition it is the site of the graves of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. These graves have been buried under a church built in the Byzantine Period in Israel, and which is now used as a mosque.

Cave Of The Patriarchs Media

Woodcut by Gustave Doré depicting the burial of Sarah in the cave
Tomb of Sarah in the Mosque
The Tomb of Isaac. Cave of Machpelah, Hebron, Palestine.
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Muslims pray, in January 2014.
Cave of the Patriarchs, 2010, as seen from the Israeli-controlled side
Entrance to Ibrahimi Mosque, Hebron, 2019
Jewish bride praying at the site before her wedding, 2010
"Tomb of Abraham," cenotaph above the cave traditionally considered to be the burial place of Abraham and Sarah in the Cave of the Patriarchs. Photo by Eric Stoltz, March 2006.
The stone canopy above the more visible known entrance to the caves