Situated beneath a Saladin-era mosque converted from a large rectangular Herodian-era structure built by Herod the Great to commmorate the site for his Jewish subjects,[1] the series of subterranean chambers is located in the heart of the old city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the Hebron Hills. According to tradition that has been associated with both the Book of Genesis and the Quran, the cave and adjoining field were purchased by Abraham as a burial plot. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah, considered the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Jewish people, are all believed to be buried there. The only matriarch missing is Rachel, who is believed to be buried near Bethlehem where she died in childbirth.[2] The Arabic name of the complex reflects the prominence given to Abraham, revered by Muslims as a Quranic prophet and patriarch through Ishmael. Outside biblical and Quranic sources there are a number of legends and traditions associated with the cave.
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