Biblical Hebrew Blog by ClassicalHebrew.com

Hebron (also known as Kiryat Arba or Mamreh) is a city of a rich biblical history going back to the era of the Patriarchs. When Abraham arrived in Canaan, one of the places in which he settled was the Hebron area, which he sanctified by building an altar to YHWH: “And Abraham moved his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre which is in Hebrom and there he built an altar to YHWH” (Genesis 13:18).. Hebron is also where Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, in the cave of Machpela. Both in Jewish and in Muslim tradition Hebron is considered “the city of Abraham,” and both in Hebrew and in Arabic its name is derived from the word “friend,” because Abraham is considered to be the friend of God.

When the Israelites returned from Egypt, Hebron was conquered by Caleb the son of Jephunneh, one of the spies sent to Canaan by Moses and the only one other than Joshua who lived to enter the land. Hebron was conquered from the giants who had formerly inhabited the city, and became a central part of Judean territory.

Hebron was especially important at the beginning of David’s reign, when, for seven years, it served as his capital before Jerusalem: “In Hebron he [David] reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all of Israel and Judah thirty three years” (2 Samuel 5:5). Hebron continued to be a central part of Jewish history throughout the First Temple Period, and it is the place of Absalom’s revolt against David, a city fortified by king Rehoboam, and apparently an important cultural and administrative center throughout this period. The city was conquered again by Judah the Maccabi during the Second Temple Period.

The most substantial archeological finding from biblical Hebron are the handles of jars dedicated to king Hezekiah bearing the name of the city, thus showing that it was under Judean rule and that the inhabitants gave taxes and gifts to the king in Jerusalem.

Hebron

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