Hebron
Where is Hebron today? The city of al-Khalil in the West Bank, where Abraham lived and was buried in the cave of Machpelah and David first reigned.
- Today
- Hebron (al-Khalil), West Bank
- Country
- Palestine (West Bank)
- Status
- Living city: the old town and Ibrahimi Mosque are UNESCO-listed
- Identification
- Certain
Hebron (Hevron in the KK translation, formerly Kiriath-arba) is an ancient city in the hill country of Judah, near Mamre where Abraham pitched his tent. When Sarah died, Abraham bought the field of Machpelah and its cave here, and Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were all buried in that cave. In Joshua's day the city was given to Caleb as his inheritance. David reigned over Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months before moving to Jerusalem as king of all Israel.
Read the chapters
Related topics
Related people
- Abraham
- David
- Joseph
- Noah
- Adam
- Aaron
- Eve
- Isaac
- Sarah
- Jacob
- Joshua
- Methuselah
- Seth
- Abel
- Cain
- Ishmael
- Hagar
- Lot
- Rachel
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Creation
- Bible Verses About Courage
- Bible Verses About Family
- Bible Verses About Marriage
- Bible Verses About Loneliness
- Bible Verses About New Beginnings
- Bible Verses About Trials and Testing
- Bible Verses About Strength
- Bible Verses About God's Promises
- Bible Verses About Work and Labor
Reading plans
- The Bible for Beginners — 10 Days
- Advent — 24 Days to Christmas
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
Books
Places in the Bible
Where is Hebron today?
Hebron today is the city of al-Khalil in the southern West Bank, about 30 kilometres south of Jerusalem; its Arabic name comes from Abraham's title al-Khalil, the Friend. In the Bible it is where Abraham lived and buried Sarah in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:19). Visitors to the old city today see the building that by tradition stands over that cave, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs; the old town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017.
Where is the cave of Machpelah?
According to the Bible, Machpelah is the burial cave in a field facing Hebron that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:19). Tradition identifies it with the massive stone enclosure in Hebron's old city, thought to date from Herod's time. Known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, the building is today divided into mosque and synagogue sections.
How long did David reign in Hebron?
After Saul's death David became king over Judah in Hebron and reigned there for seven years and six months; he then moved to Jerusalem as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:5).