This is a short video containing photos and video clips from the city of Hebron in 2017. It includes footage of the Cave of Machpelah, also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Most of this footage was taken in the mosque side of the shrine, as prayers were in progress on the synagogue side and at the cenotaph of Abraham.

The Cave of the Patriarchs was among the earliest places of pilgrimage for the ancient Israelites, and possibly the oldest major shrine of the Abrahamic faiths. According to tradition that dates back thousands of years, it is the place where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried along with some of their wives. For many Jews it is the second most sacred site after the Western Wall in Jerusalem. While the shrine above the cave was built at a much later period, it still dates back to the days of Herod the Great, making it the Holy Land’s most enduring shrine.
According to the Torah, Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite for four hundred silver shekels. It was originally intended for the burial of his wife Sarah, but over the next century it became a family tomb. The body of Jacob, brought back from Egypt by his sons, was probably the last to be interred here. Following the return of the Israelites to Canaan, Hebron became an important center of religious life. It was assigned to the territory of the tribe of Judah, and briefly served as capital of the united kingdom of Israel during the reign of David.
After the Bar Khokba Revolt in the 2nd century CE Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah changed hands numerous times. Each subsequent conquerer apparently treated the site with reverence, and unlike virtually all other shrines in the Holy Land, the structure has remained mostly intact for the better part of two thousand years. Under the various Islamic dynasties Hebron became a major pilgrimage destination for Muslims, and though Jews continued to venerate the shrine, by the end of the 13th century they were barred from entering.
In the ensuing years the fortunes of the Jews of Hebron slowly ebbed, until the 20th century when significant numbers began to return to the area. Religious tensions between Hebron’s Jews and Muslims broke out in open hostility in 1929 when many settlers in the area were killed and the rest forced to flee. Over the next thirty-eight years Jews were kept out of Hebron and all signs of Jewish habitation were destroyed. This state of affairs continued until 1967 when Israel annexed the city, and Jews visited the shrine for the first time in centuries. The Cave of the Patriarchs is part of the Hebron/Al-Khalid Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site has been designated an Israel National Heritage Site.

The Cave of the Patriarchs consists of the Roman era shrine above and two caves below. The construction style is similar to major projects of the Herodian period, and the exterior appears much the same today as it did two thousand years ago. The interior of the shrine is divided into two halves, a mosque and a synagogue. A cenotaph honoring Isaac and Rebecca is in the mosque, and a cenotaph honoring Jacob and Leah is in the synagogue. The cenotaph of Abraham and Sarah is incorporated into the divider and can be seen from either side. According to tradition the actual bodies are buried beneath the shrine in the caves.

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