Cave of Machpelah
A place in the Bible
A double cave facing Mamre, at Hebron. Abraham bought it, with its field, to bury his family.
What happened here
- Sarah: Abraham buried his wife Sarah there.
- Abraham: his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the same cave.
- The family: Isaac and Rebekah were also buried there, and Leah, Jacob’s wife.
- Jacob: he died in Egypt, but his sons carried him to Canaan and buried him in that cave.
Today
According to tradition, the cave lies under the great stone building called the Haram, in Hebron, which today is a mosque.
Where it appears in the Bible
Genesis 49:29-30; Genesis 23:19; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 49:31; Genesis 50:13
What the Bible says
Genesis 49:29-30
29And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite, 30Over against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in.
Genesis 23:19
And so Abraham buried Sara his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre, this is Hebron in the land of Chanaan.
Genesis 25:9
And Isaac and Ismael his sons buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron the son of Seor the Hethite, over against Mambre;
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Hebron”; Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), “Machpelah”