The Cave of the Patriarchs, revered by Jews and Muslims

HEBRON, WEST BANK (ANS) -- At least 20,000 Israeli Jews showed up in the biblical Judean town of Hebron recently for the annual reading of the Bible passage that recounts Abraham's purchase of a burial cave in Judaism's second holiest city.

According to a story carried on the website www.israeltoday.co.il, a Hebron Jewish community spokesman told Israel National News that the event was one of the largest annual faith-based gatherings in Israel.

“Genesis 23 tells the story of Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpela as a burial place for his wife Sarah,” said the Israel Today story. “Eventually, Abraham, his son Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and their son Jacob and his wife Leah would all be buried in the cave, making it one of the holiest sites on earth for Jews and all Bible-believers.

“As with other biblical sites holy to Jews and Christians, the cave and the Herodian complex that now sits over it have also been claimed by Islam. Today the site is split into Jewish and Muslim halves, and its a point of tension between the hundreds of thousands of Muslims and the few hundred Jews that live in Hebron.”

In addition to being the burial place of Israel's beloved patriarchs and matriarchs, Hebron was also the first capital of King David.

Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.