Editing Cave of the Patriarchs (section)

==Structure==

===Building===
[[File:Floor plan of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi.svg|thumb|Plan of the building]]
The rectangular stone enclosure lies on a northwest–southeast axis, and is divided into two sections by a wall running between the northwestern three fifths, and the southeastern two fifths. The northwestern section is roofed on three sides, the central area and north eastern side being open to the sky; the southeastern section is fully roofed, the roof being supported by four columns evenly distributed through the section.
Nearly the entire building itself was built by King Herod and it remains the only Herodian building surviving today virtually intact.<ref>''Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans'' by Peter Richardson p. 61 {{ISBN?}}</ref><ref>''The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible'' by Bruce Manning Metzger, Michael David Coogan p. 99 {{ISBN?}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs |title=Tombs of the Patriarchs – Hebron, State of Palestine |website=www.sacred-destinations.com |access-date=19 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013190659/http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs |archive-date=13 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Abraham tomb.JPG|thumb|Cenotaph of Abraham]]
In the northwestern section are four [[cenotaph]]s, each housed in a separate octagonal room, those dedicated to Jacob and Leah being on the northwest, and those to Abraham and Sarah on the southeast. A corridor runs between the cenotaphs on the northwest, and another between those on the southeast. A third corridor runs the length of the southwestern side, through which access to the cenotaphs, and to the southeastern section, can be gained. An entrance to the enclosure exists on the southwestern side, entering this third corridor; a mosque outside this entrance must be passed through to gain access.

At the center of the northeastern side, there is another entrance, which enters the roofed area on the southeastern side of the northwestern section and through which access can also be gained to the southeastern (fully roofed) section. This entrance is approached on the outside by a corridor which leads from a long staircase running most of the length of the northwestern side.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.bib-arch.org/nph-proxy.pl/000000A/http/www.basarchive.org/bswb_graphics/BSBA/11/03/BSBA110303200.jpg |archive-date=20 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020092815/http://members.bib-arch.org/nph-proxy.pl/000000A/http/www.basarchive.org/bswb_graphics/BSBA/11/03/BSBA110303200.jpg |title=a floorplan}}</ref> The southeastern section, which functions primarily as a mosque, contains two cenotaphs, symmetrically placed, near the center, dedicated to Isaac and Rebecca. Between them, in the southeastern wall, is a [[mihrab]]. The cenotaphs have a distinctive red and white horizontal striped pattern to their stonework but are usually covered by decorative cloth.

Under the present arrangements, Jews are restricted to entering by the southwestern side, and limited to the southwestern corridor and the corridors that run between the cenotaphs, while Muslims may enter only by the northeastern side but are allowed free rein of the remainder of the enclosure.

===Caves===
[[File:The canopy in the Cave of the Patriarchs above the cave where Abraham and Sarah are buried.jpg|thumb|319x319px|The stone canopy above the more visible known entrance to the caves]]
The caves under the enclosure are not themselves generally accessible; the waqf have historically prevented access to the actual tombs out of respect for the dead. Only two entrances are known to exist, the most visible of which is located to the immediate southeast of Abraham's cenotaph on the inside of the southeastern section. This entrance is a narrow shaft covered by a decorative grate, which itself is covered by an elaborate dome. The other entrance is located to the southeast, near the [[mihrab]], and is sealed by a large stone, and usually covered by [[prayer mat]]s; this is very close to the location of the ''seventh step'' on the outside of the enclosure, beyond which the Mamelukes forbade Jews from approaching.

When the enclosure was controlled by crusaders, access was occasionally possible. One account, by Rabbi [[Benjamin of Tudela]] dating from 1163 CE, states that after passing through an iron door, and descending, the caves would be encountered. According to Benjamin of Tudela, there was a sequence of three caves, the first two of which were empty; in the third cave were six tombs, arranged to be opposite to one another.<ref>''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia''</ref>

These caves had been rediscovered only in 1119 CE by a monk named Arnoul, after an unnamed monk at prayer "noticed a draught" in the area near the present location of the mihrab and, with other "brethren", removed the flagstones and found a room lined with Herodian masonry.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Sunday at Home, Volume 31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-p5HAAAAYAAJ&q=%22noticed+a+draught%22+Arnoul&pg=PA296 |year=1884 |publisher=Religious Tract Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414101426/http://books.google.com/books?id=-p5HAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA296#v=snippet&q=%22noticed%20a%20draught%22%20Arnoul&f=false |archive-date=14 April 2014 |url-status=live}} Note: English translation based on a paper by Count Riant, "L'Invention de la Sépulture des Patriarches Abraham, Isaac et Jacob à Hébron, le 25 juin 1119," issued by the ''Société de l'Orient Latin'', 1883.</ref> Arnoul, still searching for the source of the draught, hammered on the cave walls until he heard a hollow sound, pulled down the masonry in that area, and discovered a narrow passage. The narrow passage, which subsequently became known as the ''serdab'' ([[Arabic]] for ''passage''), was similarly lined with masonry, but partly blocked up. Having unblocked the passage, Arnoul discovered a large round room with plastered walls. In the floor of the room, he found a square stone slightly different from the others and, upon removing it, found the first of the caves. The caves were filled with dust. After removing the dust, Arnoul found bones; believing the bones to be those of the biblical Patriarchs, Arnoul washed them in wine and stacked them neatly. Arnoul carved inscriptions on the cave walls describing whose bones he believed them to be.<ref name="BAR" />[[File:Abraham cave.jpg|thumb|The more visible known entrance to the caves{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}]]This passage to the caves was sealed at some time after [[Saladin]] had recaptured the area, though the roof of the circular room was pierced, and a decorative grate was placed over it. In 1967, after the [[Six-Day War]], the area fell into the hands of the [[Israel Defense Forces]], and [[Moshe Dayan]], the Defence Minister, who was an amateur archaeologist, attempted to regain access to the tombs. Ignorant of the ''serdab'' entrance, Dayan concentrated his attention on the shaft visible below the decorative grate and had the idea of sending someone thin enough to fit through the shaft and down into the chamber below. Dayan eventually found a slim 12-year-old girl named Michal to assist and sent her into the chamber with a camera.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.basarchive.org/bswb_graphics/BSBA/11/03/BSBA110304200.jpg |title=photograph of Michal descending through the grated shaft |access-date=26 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529071931/http://www.basarchive.org/bswb_graphics/BSBA/11/03/BSBA110304200.jpg |archive-date=29 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Joseph Free and Howard F. Vos (1992) ''Archaeology and Bible History'' Zondervan, {{ISBN|0-310-47961-4}} p. 62</ref>

Michal explored the round chamber, but failed to find the square stone in the floor that led to the caves. Michal did, however, explore the passage and find steps leading up to the surface, though the exit was blocked by a large stone (this is the entrance near the mihrab).<ref name=BAR /> According to the report of her findings, which Michal gave to Dayan after having been lifted back through the shaft, there are 16 steps leading down into the passage, which is 1 [[cubit]] wide, {{convert|17.37|m}} and {{convert|1|m}} high. In the round chamber, which is {{convert|12|m}} below the entrance to the shaft, there are three stone slabs, the middle of which contains a partial inscription of [[Sura]] 2, verse 255, from the [[Quran]], the famous [[Ayatul Kursi]], Verse of the Throne.<ref name=BAR />

In 1981, [[Seev Jevin]], the former director of the [[Israel Antiquities Authority]], entered the passage after a group of Jewish settlers from Hebron had entered the chamber via the entrance near the mihrab and discovered the square stone in the round chamber that concealed the cave entrance. The reports state that after entering the first cave, which seemed to Jevin to be empty, he found a passage leading to a second oval chamber, smaller than the first, which contained shards of pottery and a wine jug.<ref>''[[Der Spiegel]]'', 52/2008 Title Story: Abraham, p. 104</ref> Findings published in the ''[[Israel Exploration Journal]]'' in 2020 stated that the pottery dated from the 8th century BCE and originated from various locations in the Hebron and Jerusalem areas.<ref name="Arnon">{{cite journal |title=Iron Age Pottery from the Cave of the Patriarchs at Hebron |journal=Israel Exploration Journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/43636436 |last1=Arnon |first1=Noam |issue=1 |volume=70 |pages=49–63 |last2=Ben-Shlomo |first2=David |year=2020 |issn=0021-2059 |jstor=27100275 |last3=Mommsen |first3=Hans |access-date=7 December 2023 |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180802/https://www.academia.edu/43636436 |url-status=live }}</ref>