Hebron was also the capital of King David who ruled here for seven years after the death of Soul. Here the tribes of Israel came to ask David to be their King. Later King Herod the Great (the same who tried killed the Baby Jesus) built a monumental structure over the cave of Machpelah. The structure built by Herod remains almost intact and gives the visitor a hint of what the temple area in Jerusalem must have looked like before it was destroyed by Romans in A.D. 70.
Today the city is predominantly Arab with a small population of 400 Jews. These 400 Jews however have 500 soldiers protecting them here. The main tension comes from the fact that both Jews and Muslims regard Abraham and other Patriarchs as Holy Men and claim that the site should belong to them. The building over the cave with the Tombs of Patriarchs and Matriarchs is divided at the moment a section belongs to Muslims and a section belongs to Jews. After the
fatal shooting I mentioned before it is forbidden for Jews to enter the Muslim
section and for Muslims to enter the Jewish section. As I was standing there reflecting on the faith of Abraham who is buried here and whose trust in God influenced us so much I prayed so the day may come very soon when what happened after the death of the Patriarch may happen again. The Bible says that his sons: Ishmael whose mother was Hagar, a slave girl and Isaac born of Sarah were at conflict with each other but when Abraham died they came to bury him and were reconciled. I prayed in Hebron that the descendants of Ishmael: the Arabs and the descendants of Isaac: the Jews may come to reconciliation at this site which saw the reconciliation of their forefathers.