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חברון , Chevron, Hebron
ארץ ישראל , Israel
The Cave of Machpela, מערת המכפלה
Photos - with thanks to and courtesy of www.thirdtemple.com .
Abraham bought the cave of Machpela for 400 shekels of silver from Ephron so that he could bury his wife Sarah ( בראשית Genesis Chapter 23 ). According to the Yalkut Shimoni Medrash, Abraham visited this cave many times and prayed here as he knew this was the burial place of Adam and Eve. (Please read our full page on the spiritual importance of visiting gravesites). The building ontop, and the outer fortified wallss of the Cave/ Tombs were built 2000 years ago during the time of King Herod, to preserve and protect the holy gravesites.
The Cave of Machpela is the home to the tombs and graves of :-
אדם חוה Adam and Eve,
אברהם שרה Abraham and Sarah,
יצחק רבקה Isaac and Rivka,
יעקב לאה Jacob and Leah,
בילהה זילפה Bilha and Zilpa the maidservants and wives of Jacob,
Jacobs wife, רחל, Rachel is buried outside, בית לחם, Beis Lechem, as she died on the journey whilst giving birth to Benjamin. Please see here for our photos and page on Rachels Tomb.
Abraham was the father of Ishmael, the father of all Arabs and Muslems, Chevron is considered a sacred site to Muslems, who pray daily inside the Tomb.
Entrance to the Tomb of אדם חוה Adam and Eve
Photos - with thanks to and courtesy of www.thirdtemple.com .
Entrance to the Grave of Abraham
The "Synagogue" Shul next to the grave Tomb of Abraham
The Door to the Tomb of the grave of Abraham
Photos - with thanks to and courtesy of www.thirdtemple.com .
The entrance to the Tomb of Sarah
The Tombs of Isaac and Rivka - יצחק רבקה
On the upper level in the "cave" ontop of the Tombs are these tombs
In the lower level beneath is the entrance and grave tomb of Isaac.
The "Apiryon" at the entrance to the corridor leading to Grave of Isaac
The Ohel - Grave of Isaac
Photos - with thanks to and courtesy of www.thirdtemple.com .
The entrance to the Tomb - Grave of Yaakov - Jacob
The Entrance to the Grave - Tomb of Leah
As you can see from all the photos above the doors and gates leading into the room with the gravestones are locked, although the entrance to the Tomb - Grave of Yaakov - Jacob the inner door is open but the outer - "railing" door is locked. Nontheless their is without doubt a very special feeling when visiting Cave of Machpela in Hebron.
"The Cave of Machpela"
The building ontop of the Cave built 2000 years ago
The View from Tel Chevron towards the Cave of Machpela
The "Jewish" Entrance to the Cave of Machpela
The "Arab" entrance into the Cave of Machpela where they pray at Abrahams grave
Photos - with thanks to and courtesy of www.thirdtemple.com .
For tourists reading this webpage, we recommend you check the "security" situation first, as there have been clashes between palestinian thugs and israeli army.
We took an "Egged" bus to Kiryat Arba from Jerusalem, Kiryat Arba is a jewish settlement that overlooks the valley of Hebron. There was good protection by the israeli army on the bus, and Kiryat Arba is a secure and safe israeli settlement.
There is a regular bus from Kiryat Arba which stops outside the Cave of Machpela in Hebron, (or you can contact our friend Rabbi Chaim Simons in Kiryat Arba - who speaks english !), opposite the Cave, lives Rabbi Levinger, who lives in a secure house ! So there is no need to be frightened, nontheless, always check the security situation, and DONT go "wandering off" in Hebron !
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With thanks to M'S', Rabbi Levinger the Rabbi in Chevron who lives opposite the Cave of Machpela and Ayelet Simons (who was my first tour guide of the Kivrei Avos in Pesach 1985) daughter of Rabbi Chaim Simons who lives in Kiryat Arba and was our inspirational and motivational "Jewish Studies" teacher in Liverpool .
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Some Special Spiritual Photos
Photo Gallery # 1 Metz, France, the old Jewish cemetery.
Photo Gallery # 2 Metz Ville - France.
Photo Gallery # 3 Montreux, Lugano & Rome.
Photo Gallery # 4 Special holy places in Israel - Tiberias - Teverya.
Photo Gallery # 5 Special holy places in Israel - Jerusalem Yerushalayim, with explanation to the everlasting pillars of יכין and בועז .
Photo Gallery # 6 The Cave of Machpela - Hebron - Israel, which is the Holy Gravesite and Tombs of all our ancestors, Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rivka, Jacob and Leah.
Photos Gallery #7 The Tomb Grave of Rachel in Bethlehem, and her sons Joseph and Benjamin in Shechem and Kfar Saba. With explanation to the "red string bracelet" for "protection".
Photo Gallery # 8 Photos of Holy Gravesites and Tombs & Kevorim - ???? ?????? Famous Rabbis Spiritually Holy Gravesites and Tombs.
Photo Gallery #9 Many spiritual places from Galiciana - the South East Poland. Photos include Lizhensk & of the yarzheit of Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk of 21st Adar, of Krakow, Poland , the Jewish Quater of Kazimierz in Krakow, the Remuh Cemetary , the Remah Shul and the "New Cemetary" where the Meor veShemesh is buried in Krakow; the Grave of the Tosfos Yom Tov.
Photo Gallery #10 - a life-changing, unforgettable and moving visit to Oswiecim - Auschwitz and Birkenau which is just 45 miles from Krakow. With photos of Birkenau where the deportation trains arrived, selections were made and then for most people the walk to the gas chambers were over 1.5 million Jewish people were murdered by the evil German Nazis in Birkenau.
Photo Gallery #11 "Jewish Spiritual Poland" - photo galleries of Kivrei Tzaddikim of South East Poland, Krakow, Sanz , Bobov , Dinov , Ropshitz, Rimanov , Lejask/Lizhensk and many spiritual places of South East Poland for which i was kindly invited and driven to visit during May 2007.
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