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Hebron

Bible Dictionary

Hebron
(alliance).

The third son of Kohath, who was the second son of Levi.(exodus 6:18; numbers 3:19; 1 chronicles 6:2,18; 23:12) Hewas the founder of a family of Hebronites, (numbers 3:27;26:58; 1 chronicles 26:23,30,31), or Bene-Hebron. (1chronicles 15:9; 23:19)

A city of Judah, (joshua 15:54) situated among the mountains,(joshua 20:7) 20 Roman miles south of Jerusalem, and the samedistance north of Beersheba. Hebron is one of the mostancient cities in the world still existing; and in thisrespect it is the rival of Damascus. It was a well-known townwhen Abraham entered Canaan, 3800 years ago. (genesis 13:18)Its original name was Kirjath-arba, (judges 1:10) "the cityof Arba;" so called from Arba the father of Anak. (joshua15:13,14; 21:13) Sarah died at Hebron; and Abraham thenbought from Ephron the Hittite the field and cave ofMachpelah, to serve as a family tomb (genesis 23:2-20) Thecave is still there, and the massive walls of the Haram ormosque, within which it lies, form the most remarkable objectin the whole city. Abraham is called by Mohammedansel-Khulil, "the Friend," i.e. of God, and this is the modernname of Hebron. Hebron now contains about 5000 inhabitants,of whom some fifty families are Jews. It is picturesquelysituated in a narrow valley, surrounded by rocky hills. Thevalley runs from north to south; and the main quarter of thetown, surmounted by the lofty walls of the venerable Haram,lies partly on the eastern slope. (genesis 37:14) comp.Genesis23:19 About a mile from the town, up the valley, isone of the largest oak trees in Palestine. This, say some, isthe very tree beneath which Abraham pitched his tent, and itstill bears the name of the patriarch.

One of the towns in the territory of Asher, (joshua 19:28)probably Ebdon or Abdom.