Editing Cave of the Patriarchs (section)

===Crusader period===
[[File:Tombs of the patriarchs, Hebron, Holy Land, (i.e., West Bank)-LCCN2002724989.jpg|thumb|Print from c. 1890]]
In 1100, after the area was captured by the [[Crusades|Crusaders]], the enclosure once again became a church and Muslims were no longer permitted to enter. During this period, the area was given a new [[gable]]d roof, [[clerestory]] windows and [[Vault (architecture)|vaulting]].

When the Crusaders took control of the site Jews were banned from using the synagogues.<ref name="Roth" />

In the year 1113 during the reign of [[Baldwin II of Jerusalem]], according to [[Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Harawi|Ali of Herat]] (writing in 1173), a certain part over the cave of Abraham had given way, and "a number of Franks had made their entrance therein". And they discovered "(the bodies) of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", "their shrouds having fallen to pieces, lying propped up against a wall. ... Then the King, after providing new shrouds, caused the place to be closed once more". Similar information is given in [[Ali ibn al-Athir|Ibn al Athir]]'s Chronicle under the year 1119; "In this year was opened the tomb of Abraham, and those of his two sons Isaac and Jacob. ... Many people saw the Patriarch. Their limbs had nowise been disturbed, and beside them were placed lamps of gold and of silver."<ref>{{harvnb|Le Strange|1890|pp=317–318}} = [[commons:File:Strange.317.jpg|p. 317]], [[commons:File:Strange.318.jpg|p. 318]].</ref> The [[Damascus|Damascene]] nobleman and historian [[Ibn al-Qalanisi]] in his chronicle also alludes at this time to the discovery of [[relics]] purported to be those of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a discovery that excited eager curiosity among all three communities in the southern Levant, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian.<ref>{{harvnb|Kohler|1896|pp=447ff.}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Runciman|1965b|p=319}}.</ref>

Towards the end of the period of Crusader rule, in 1166 [[Maimonides]] visited Hebron and wrote, "On Sunday, 9 Marheshvan (17 October), I left Jerusalem for Hebron to kiss the tombs of my ancestors in the Cave. On that day, I stood in the cave and prayed, praise be to God, (in gratitude) for everything."<ref>{{harvnb|Kraemer|2001|p=422}}.</ref>

In 1170, [[Benjamin of Tudela]] visited the city, which he called by its Frankish name, St. Abram de Bron. He reported:
:"Here that there is the great church called St. Abram, and this was a Jewish place of worship at the time of the Mohammedan rule, but the Gentiles have erected there six tombs, respectively called those of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. The custodians tell the pilgrims that these are the tombs of the Patriarchs, for which information the pilgrims give them money. If a Jew comes, however, and gives a special reward, the custodian of the cave opens unto him a gate of iron, which was constructed by our forefathers, and then he is able to descend below by means of steps, holding a lighted candle in his hand. He then reaches a cave, in which nothing is to be found, and a cave beyond, which is likewise empty, but when he reaches the third cave behold there are six sepulchres, those of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, respectively facing those of Sarah, Rebekah and Leah, upon which the names of the three Patriarchs and their wives are inscribed in Hebrew characters. The cave is filled with barrels containing bones of people, which are taken there as to a sacred place. At the end of the field of the Machpelah stands Abraham's house with a spring in front of it".<ref>"Itinerary," ed. Asher, pp. 40–42, Hebr.</ref><ref>Another translation: {{cite book |title=Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Saewulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.32890 |first=Thomas |last=Wright |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.32890/page/n124 86] |year=1848}}
"The Gentiles have erected six sepulchres in this place, which they pretend to be those of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. The pilgrims are told that they are the sepulchres of the fathers, and money is extorted from them. But if any Jew comes, who gives an additional fee to the keeper of the cave, an iron door is opened, which dates from the time of our forefathers who rest in peace, and with a burning candle in his hands, the visitor descends into a first cave, which is empty, traverses a second in the same state, and at last reaches a third, which contains six sepulchres, those of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah, one opposite the other. All these sepulchres bear inscriptions, the letters being engraved. Thus, upon that of Abraham we read: – "This is the sepulchre of our father Abraham; upon " whom be peace," and so on that of Isaac, and upon all the other sepulchres. A lamp burns in the cave and upon the sepulchres continually, both night and day, and you there see tombs filled with the bones of Israelites—for unto this day it is a custom of the house of Israel to bring hither the bones of their saints and of their forefathers, and to leave them there."</ref>