Located in the city of Hebron (in the controversial "West Bank" region) the cave was purchased by Abraham - almost 4000 years ago. He bought the land to bury his beloved wife Sarah, who had died. According to the Bible, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebecca, and Leah were later buried in the same cave. The only matriarch missing is Rachel, who was buried on the road to Bethlehem after she died in childbirth.
Over the centuries, different religious groups have used the land for their own purposes. During the Crusades, the Christians transformed into a church. Later, the Muslims turned it into a mosque. While under Islamic rule, for almost 700 years, Jews were forbidden to enter the structure, and could not even advance past the seventh step on the staircase outside.
During the Six Day War in 1967, the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, the late Major-General Rabbi Shlomo Goren, was the first Jew to enter the Cave of Machpelah in hundreds of years. Since then, Jews have still been struggling to regain rights to gain full access the site, as it is still under control of the Muslim Waqf. Currently, Jews can only access to the main/largest section the cave (Ohel Yitzhak) 10 days a year.
Before I head off to Israel, I will be sure to research if my trip coincides with any of the days open to Jewish visitors. Even though I really won't "see" anything and I will probably be taking my life into my own hands by going to the this highly volatile part of Israel, I almost feel that I need to make the pilgrimage as a gesture of Jewish solidarity. In addition, seeing as how my Hebrew name is Rachel, I think I that visiting the Cave of the Patriarchs & Matriarchs is somehow a must for me.
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| Grate that allows visitors to look down the 40 ft shaft into the cave. |
