The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more

The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more
Kate – I have marked on the slides which ones/sections need additional notes. This is not the easiest site to find information on, for several reasons, but I tried to locate a few internet sources. Do what you can; if you can’t find stuff, I’ll figure something else outj. Hebron This presentation begins with general views in the Hebron area, continues with the Herodian Machpelah and Tell er-Rumeida (Tel Hebron), and concludes with the excavations of Mamre. The Pictorial Library of Bible Lands provides PowerPoint files in addition to individual jpg images. The PowerPoint files are organized in logical sequence and may provide a quicker option for copying slides into other presentations. The PowerPoint files also include annotations about the sites and images that are not available elsewhere. The images in the PowerPoints are approximately 1024x768 pixels, the maximum size displayed by many projectors. Users will particularly benefit from accessing the individual higher-resolution jpg images if (1) they have a projection system higher than 1024x768; (2) they want to zoom in on a particular portion of an image; or (3) they want to crop, edit, adapt, or print an image. The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more

Pictorial Library Vol. 4: Judah & the Dead Sea
This map is intended to help users locate the places which appear in the photographs in this presentation. The map therefore does not represent or label every geographic feature, and the sites are a mixture of modern and ancient place names. Pictorial Library Vol. 4: Judah & the Dead Sea

Pictorial Library Vol. 4: Shephelah
This map is intended to help users locate the places which appear in the photographs in this presentation. The map therefore does not represent or label every geographic feature, and the sites are a mixture of modern and ancient place names. Pictorial Library Vol. 4: Shephelah

Vineyards north of Hebron
Hebron: Biblical History The Israelite spies sent by Moses traveled through Hebron (Num 13:22). To the north of Hebron is the very fertile Valley of Eshcol. One of the five kings who joined in the Canaanite coalition to fight the Israelites was from Hebron. Joshua conquered the city and deeded it to Caleb, and it was later designated a Levitical city of refuge (Josh 10:36-37, 14:13, 21:11-13, 20:7; 21:13). David was anointed king of Judah at Hebron. During his 7.5 years in Hebron, David married four wives and had children by them. At the conclusion of this time, he was crowned by all twelve tribes as king of Israel and Judah. Absalom began his revolt in Hebron (2 Sam 15). Psalm 3 was written by David when he fled from his son Absalom. Rehoboam fortified Hebron (2 Chr 11:5-12). tb

Vineyards and terraced hillside near Hebron
tb

Vineyards in fall colors near Hebron
tb

Terraced hillside near Hebron
tb

Hebron from west panorama
This photo was taken from the top of Tell er-Rumeida, the ancient site of Hebron. tb p Hebron from west panorama

The Machpelah (traditional tomb of the patriarchs) is visible on the left side of the photo. See the next slide for a label. tb Hebron from west

Hebron from west Machpelah
The Machpelah (traditional tomb of the patriarchs) is visible on the left side of the photo. tb Hebron from west

Hebron with Machpelah from north
The Machpelah (traditional tomb of the patriarchs) is visible on the right side of the photo. See the next slide for labels. tb Hebron with Machpelah from north

Hebron with Machpelah from north
The Machpelah (traditional tomb of the patriarchs) is visible on the right side of the photo. tb Hebron with Machpelah from north

Hebron from north with snow
tb

Hebron modern city from south
tb

tb Hebron old houses

Hebron Arab street and market
tb Hebron Arab street and market

adr Hebron Old City

Hebron Abu Sneineh hill from Machpelah
Jebel Abu Sneineh is located 0.4 miles (0.6 km) southwest of the Machpelah and 0.3 miles (0.45 km) southeast of Tell Hebron (aka Tell er-Rumeida). tb

Hebron Machpelah aerial from southeast
See next slide for labels. bb

Hebron Machpelah aerial from southeast
bb

Hebron Machpelah from west
tb Hebron Machpelah from west

Hebron Machpelah aerial from east
bb

Hebron Machpelah tb

Hebron Machpelah The Machpelah: Tomb of the Patriarchs
Genesis 23 records the purchase by Abraham of a plot of ground in Hebron for a burial cave for his wife Sarah. Later Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were all buried here. King Herod apparently built the enclosure (haram) around the cave to remember the patriarchs’ tomb. “A variety of evidence indicates the presence of several shaft tombs, dating to the Middle Bronze Age I and perhaps also the Iron Age, beneath the Haram and in its environs….No systematic examination of the remains under the building has ever been possible” because of Muslim worship at the site (Ofer 1993: 607). tb Hebron Machpelah

Hebron Machpelah Herodian Construction
King Herod constructed a large edifice atop the traditional burial place of the patriarchs. Its architectural style is similar to that of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, including the size of the stones (up to 24 feet [7.5 m] long), the type of masonry (dry), and the pilasters (or engaged columns). The largest stone is more than 24 feet long by 4.5 feet high (7.5 x 1.4 m). The largest stones were placed near the corners in order to strengthen them. tb

Hebron Machpelah Herodian Construction
Each course is offset 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) from the course below. For visual effect, the upper margin was made larger than the other margins. The pilasters and the architectural proportions of this structure are nearly identical to the those of the Temple Mount (the pilasters on the Temple Mount are not visible today). The single, block bases of the pilasters each have seven faces. tb

adr Hebron Machpelah

Hebron Machpelah from southeast
tb

Hebron Machpelah pilasters on southern wall
tb

Hebron Machpelah southeastern corner
tb

Hebron Machpelah ashlar protrusion
adr Hebron Machpelah ashlar protrusion

Hebron Machpelah pilasters
tb Hebron Machpelah pilasters

Hebron Machpelah protruding stones in eastern wall
tb

Hebron Machpelah exterior cave beneath Herodian drainage basin
adr Hebron Machpelah exterior cave beneath Herodian drainage basin

Hebron buildings next to Machpelah
adr Hebron buildings next to Machpelah

Hebron Machpelah entrance to Jewish side
adr Hebron Machpelah entrance to Jewish side

Hebron Machpelah entrance to Muslim side
adr Hebron Machpelah entrance to Muslim side

Hebron Machpelah, Abraham’s cenotaph
Machpelah Interior The cenotaphs of Abraham and Sarah were added after the city moved to surround this complex in the 8th century AD. All the cenotaphs were in their present position by the 10th century. The Mamluks gave the cenotaphs of Jacob and Leah their present form in the 14th century. tb

Hebron Machpelah, Abraham’s cenotaph
A synagogue was installed after 1967, between the cenotaphs of Sarah and Abraham. tb Hebron Machpelah, Abraham’s cenotaph

Hebron Machpelah Jewish side cenotaph of Abraham
adr Hebron Machpelah Jewish side cenotaph of Abraham

Hebron Machpelah, Sarah’s cenotaph
tb Hebron Machpelah, Sarah’s cenotaph

Hebron Machpelah Muslim side cenotaph of Sarah ceiling
adr Hebron Machpelah Muslim side cenotaph of Sarah ceiling

Hebron Machpelah Muslim side cenotaphs of Isaac and Rebekah
adr Hebron Machpelah Muslim side cenotaphs of Isaac and Rebekah

Hebron Machpelah Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall ceiling
adr Hebron Machpelah Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall ceiling

Hebron Machpelah, Isaac's cenotaph
Cenotaph of Isaac Three major rooms make up the Machpelah. In the center are the cenotaphs of Abraham and Sarah. On the east side are Isaac and Rebekah. Since the Wye River Accords in 1996, Jewish people are allowed to visit the room of Isaac (shown above) only ten days a year. On the west side are the cenotaphs of Jacob and Leah. Jacob’s second wife, Rachel, was buried near Bethlehem and not in Hebron (Gen 35:19-20). tb

Hebron Machpelah, Rebekah's cenotaph
tb

Hebron Machpelah, Isaac's cenotaph and 11th century pulpit
The pulpit (minbar) was made in AD 1091 for a mosque in Ashkelon, and was donated by Saladin in 1191. tb Hebron Machpelah, Isaac's cenotaph and 11th century pulpit

Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall carpet
adr Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall carpet

adr Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side Greek inscription in Isaac and Rebekah hall

Hebron Machpelah, Isaac hall ceiling
Crusader Ceiling Ownership of the Machpelah has changed with each conquering army. The Byzantines converted the structure into a church. With the Muslim conquest, the structure was turned into a mosque. The Crusaders and Mamluks then made it a church and a mosque again, respectively. The interior of the compound was originally not roofed, as is evident from the sloping floor and the gutter at one end. The ceiling work is that of Crusader artisans. tb

Hebron Machpelah, Jacob's cenotaph
tb

Hebron Machpelah, Jewish side cenotaph of Leah
adr Hebron Machpelah, Jewish side cenotaph of Leah

Hebron Machpelah, Jewish side cenotaph of Joseph
adr Hebron Machpelah, Jewish side cenotaph of Joseph

Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall entrance to cave
The Cave Underneath the Machpelah The cave underneath the Machpelah was explored by the Augustinian Canons in AD They found a long, narrow Herodian corridor leading to circular chambers, where another door led to a square, rock-cut chamber. A secret Israeli investigation in the 1970s found a much simpler plan. Mamluks closed the entrance to the crypt at end of the 14th century. adr Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side Isaac and Rebekah hall entrance to cave

Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side cave entrance in Isaac and Rebekah hall
adr Hebron Machpelah, Muslim side cave entrance in Isaac and Rebekah hall

Hebron Machpelah, shaft to caves below
tb Hebron Machpelah, shaft to caves below

Hebron Machpelah Jewish side prayer hall
adr Hebron Machpelah Jewish side prayer hall

Hebron Machpelah Jewish side with Torah ark
adr Hebron Machpelah Jewish side with Torah ark

Hebron Machpelah older men meeting
tb

Hebron tomb of Abner Tomb of Abner
Abner ben Ner was the captain of the Saul's army and subsequently the commander of Ish-bosheth's army. After Abner proclaimed his loyalty to David, Joab murdered him because he had killed Joab's brother, Asahel. 2 Samuel 3 records his death at the hand of Joab and burial in Hebron. 2 Samuel 4:12 also records that David buried the head of Ish-bosheth in the grace of Abner in Hebron after Ish-bosheth was assassinated. The tradition of the site dates to before the 12th century AD, when a traveler records a visit to the tomb of Abner in Hebron. Since then, it has been visited by many other travelers and pilgrims in conjunction with the Tomb of the Patriarchs. tb Hebron tomb of Abner

tb Hebron tomb of Abner

Hebron Israeli post separating Palestinian Authority and Jewish areas
The city of Hebron is split between Palestinian and Israeli control, and checkpoints govern the borders between the two areas. Armed forces are necessary to enforce an unsettled peace between the Palestinians, who regard the settlers as hostile occupiers, and the Israeli settlers, who regard living in Hebron as their right. Violent conflict sometimes arises between the Palestinians, Jewish settlers, and Israeli soldiers in Hebron. tb

Hebron Abraham Avinu synagogue
First built in Hebron in 1540, the Abraham Avinu (Our Father Abraham) synagogue was destroyed during the 1929 Hebron massacre but was rebuilt in recent years. tb

Originally built in 1893 as a clinic and charity organization, Beit Hadassah now houses both Jewish residents and a museum that commemorates the events that took place here. After the Jewish people fled from Hebron during the uprisings of 1929, a group of women and children returned secretly to the building in 1979 and lived there for a year in attempt to restart the Jewish community in Hebron. Eventually, they were allowed to live there permanently and the lower floor of the building was converted into a museum that tells the story of the Jewish return to Hebron. tb Hebron Beit Hadassah

Hebron Sultan's pool, pool of David
This ancient pool, which is 131 feet long and 131 feet wide (40 x 40 m), is located near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. It is called the Sultan's pool by the Arabs but is traditionally linked with the pool where David hung the bodies of the murderers of Ishbosheth, Saul's son (2 Sam 4:12). tb Hebron Sultan's pool, pool of David

Hebron Sultan's pool, pool of David
tb Hebron Sultan's pool, pool of David

Hebron, Tel Rumeida, from Machpelah
Tell Rumeida is the ancient site of Hebron. This is the view from the traditional location of the patriarchs’ tombs. adr Hebron, Tel Rumeida, from Machpelah

This traditional Jewish symbol not only commemorates Hanukkah, but it is a bold assertion of Jewish presence in a largely Arab city. tb Hebron large hanukiah

Hebron, Tel Rumeida, excavations
Beit Menachem is a multi-family home built in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, former leader of the Lubavitcher movement. The excavations here were carried out in advance of the construction of this building and revealed a four-room house from the 8th century. Local Jewish residents have dubbed this the “Hebron Archaeological Park.” adr Hebron, Tel Rumeida, excavations

tb Hebron Early Bronze city wall, Early Bronze steps, Middle Bronze city wall

Hebron Middle Bronze wall, Early Bronze steps and wall
tb Hebron Middle Bronze wall, Early Bronze steps and wall

Hebron, Tel Rumeida, Israelite four-room house and grain silo
adr Hebron, Tel Rumeida, Israelite four-room house and grain silo

Hebron four-room house, 700 BC, grain silo from 1100 BC
tb Hebron four-room house, 700 BC, grain silo from 1100 BC

Hebron grain silo from 1100 BC, four-room house from 700 BC
tb Hebron grain silo from 1100 BC, four-room house from 700 BC

Hebron Israelite four-room house under Beit Menachem
tb

Hebron four-room house, 700 BC
tb Hebron four-room house, 700 BC

Hebron Israelite four-room house under Beit Menachem
tb

Hebron four-room house, 700 BC
tb Hebron four-room house, 700 BC

Hebron Early Bronze house
tb Hebron Early Bronze house

Hebron, Tel Rumeida, Early Bronze residence
adr Hebron, Tel Rumeida, Early Bronze residence

tb Hebron winepress, AD 500

Beginning in 2014, excavations on Tel Rumeida took place under Prof
Beginning in 2014, excavations on Tel Rumeida took place under Prof. Emanuel Eisenberg and Prof. Shlomo Ben-David. Ruins and artifacts from the Second Temple period were uncovered, including ritual baths, wine presses, and pottery. tb Hebron excavations

tb Hebron excavations

Hebron excavations with mosaic floor and roof roller
Stone rollers like this one were kept to waterproof the roof during the rainy season. The layers of mud and straw that made up the roof had to be compacted to prevent water from leaking through cracks. tb Hebron excavations with mosaic floor and roof roller

Hebron excavations with mosaic floor
tb Hebron excavations with mosaic floor

One of two mikvaot, or ritual baths, discovered at Tel Rumeida, this mikveh is 24 feet long, 14.5 feet wide, and over 10 feet deep (7.3 x 4.4 x 3 m). 14 plastered steps descend into a small pool. These were used for ritual purification and some, due to their close proximity to the winepresses, suggest that they were used to purify those who made wine for use in the temple in Jerusalem. tb Hebron large mikveh

tb Hebron large mikveh

Hebron mikveh with divided staircase
To the west of the other mikveh is another, better preserved mikveh. It is 21 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 9 feet deep (6.4 x 5.5 x 2.7 m) with 13 plastered steps entering an almost square pool. The purpose for the multiple divisions of the staircase is unknown, though it has been suggested that it was used to provide separation for degrees of impurity. tb Hebron mikveh with divided staircase

Hebron mikveh with divided staircase
tb Hebron mikveh with divided staircase

tb Hebron large mikveh

Hebron Middle Bronze wall
Hebron was fortified during the Early Bronze Age (2500–1900 BC) with a massive wall that was twenty feet thick. In the succeeding Middle Bronze Age (1900–1500 BC), an even larger wall was built, using huge cyclopean stones on a base of smaller stones and mudstone. Over 200 feet (61 m) of this wall has been exposed on the south side of the city. tb Hebron Middle Bronze wall

This wall is still 14 feet (4.3 m) high in places and is estimated to have been at least twice that originally. Many Late Bronze (1500–1200 BC) cities, if fortified, continued to use the Middle Bronze fortifications. Such massive fortifications would have been visible from quite a distance and would have been quite intimidating. tb Hebron Middle Bronze wall

This wall has sometimes been called the “Wall of the Giants” because of the huge stones used in its construction, some of which are as much as six feet (2 m) across. This is interesting in light of the references to giants (Anakim) living in the city in the generations before Joshua (Josh 11:21; 14:15; 15:13). tb Hebron Middle Bronze wall

tb Hebron Middle Bronze wall

tb Hebron wall

Hebron walls and olive trees
tb Hebron walls and olive trees

Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth
An ancient synagogue near the Tomb of the Patriarchs marks the traditional location of the tombs of Jesse and Ruth, the father and great-grandmother of King David, respectively. The earliest reference to the tomb was in the 13th century AD by a student who recorded that he had been to the grave of Jesse in Hebron. Recently refurbished after the Six-Day War, the site is visited most often during the celebration of Shavuot when the book of Ruth is read. tb Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth

Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth, sign
tb Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth, sign

Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth
tb Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth

Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth interior
tb Hebron tomb of Jesse and Ruth interior

Hebron Oak of Abraham at Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery
According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was dwelling opposite this oak tree when the angels came and announced the birth of Isaac, the son of the promise (Gen 18:1-15). This location has also been connected with the place where Abraham purchased the field for Sarah's burial from Ephron the Hittite (Gen 23). In 1868, following hundreds of years of pilgrimage to the site, it was purchased by the Russian church and a monastery was built nearby. adr Hebron Oak of Abraham at Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery

Hebron Oak of Abraham at Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery
adr Hebron Oak of Abraham at Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery

Mamre eastern wall with pilasters
Mamre: Description Haram Ramet el-Khalil is located about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) north of Hebron, just off the main road that connects Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. Some have identified this as the site of biblical Mamre. Here, Herod the Great build an enclosure wall. Josephus does not mention this enclosure, but neither does he mention the enclosure at Machpelah. Netzer suspects the reason for this is that Hebron was located in Idumean territory (Netzer 2008: ). tb

Mamre southern wall from east
Mamre: Herodian Enclosure An enclosure wall was excavated at Mamre which exhibits architectural features in common with some of King Herod’s other enclosures. The enclosure at Mamre measures 162 feet by 214 feet (49 x 65 m), and in some places five courses of ashlars are preserved to a height of 19 feet (5.8 m). Each successive course was built with larger stones: the foundation stones are about 1.5 feet high (0.5 m), the stones in the first course are about three feet high (0.9 m), and the stones in the second course are about 3.7 feet high (1.1 m). The largest stone, located in the west wall, is 15.5 feet (4.75 m) long. tb

Mamre southern wall Biblical History of Mamre
In the Bible, Mamre was located at Hebron and was the site of great trees (oaks or terebinths) where Abraham pitched his tent (Gen 13:18; 14:13; 18:1). Later, Abraham purchased a field with a cave for a burial plot at Machpelah, near Mamre (Gen 23:17-19). tb

Mamre southern wall with two faces
History of Excavations In , Andreas Evaristus Mader excavated at Mamre on behalf of the German society, Görresgesellschaft. Yitzhak Magen directed excavations for the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums (now Israel Antiquities Authority) in tb

Mamre southeast corner stone with drafted margins
tb

Mamre north wall with gate and pilasters
The main entrance to the enclosure was located in the center of the west wall. The doorway was about 17 feet (5.3 m) wide, and because of the height of the threshold, it must have been reached by a monumental stairway. Located east of center in the north wall, a secondary entrance measured 6.5 feet (2 m) in width and had a monolithic threshold. tb

Mamre north wall with pilasters
Similarities with Temple Mount and Machpelah The enclosure at Mamre resembles the Herodian enclosures of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and Machpelah in Hebron. The ashlars, with smooth central bosses and drafted margins, resemble those of the Temple Mount and Machpelah in “quality, cutting, and dressing” (Magen 1993: 941). Like the Temple Mount and Machpelah, the outer face of the enclosure has pilasters all the way around. The bottoms of the recesses between the pilasters slope outward and are at the level of the enclosure’s interior pavement. The enclosure’s interior was paved with large, stone slabs “similar in size and quality to the paving slabs” at Machpelah and the Temple Mount (Netzer 2008: 231). tb

Mamre north wall with pilasters
tb

Mamre enclosure from southeast corner
tb

Mamre Byzantine church in enclosure
Mamre: Other Structures Outside the western wall of the enclosure, two towers were excavated. These were dated to the Iron Age and interpreted as a gateway. In the Byzantine period, a church occupied the eastern end of the enclosure, and appears to have been used in the Crusader period. tb

Mamre enclosure from southeast
tb

Mamre enclosure from northwest corner
tb

Mamre southwest corner with well of Abraham
A well was built at the time of the construction of the enclosure in the southwest corner. Helpful Sources on Hebron Arnon, Noam. [2009] Hebron, 4000 Years & 40: The Story of the City of the Patriarchs. 2nd ed. Brooklyn: The Hebron Fund; Hebron: The Jewish Community of Hebron. Chadwick, Jeffrey R. 2005 Discovering Hebron: The City of the Patriarchs Slowly Yields Its Secrets. Biblical Archaeology Review 31/5: 24-33, Jacobson, David M. 1981 The Plan of the Ancient Haram el-Khalil at Hebron. Palestine Exploration Quarterly 113: Magen, Itzkah. 1993 Mamre. Pp in New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, vol. 2. Ed. E. Stern. New York: Simon & Schuster. Miller, Nancy. 1985 Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700 Years. Biblical Archaeology Review 11/3: Netzer, Ehud. 2008 The Architecture of Herod the Great Builder. Grand Rapids: Baker. Ofer, Avi. 1993 Hebron. Pp in The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, vol. 2. Ed. E. Stern. New York: Simon and Schuster. Sudilovsky, Judith. 1999 Hebron's Earliest Defenses Found, But No Sign of King David. Biblical Archaeology Review 25/6: 14. tb

The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "The Machpelah, Tell er-Rumeida, Mamre, and more"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback