Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

PROVISIONS FOR POSTERITY 2 3 ; 1-2 S : 1 8
The modern site of this burial cave is in the famous
sanctuary of Haram (Gunkel, Genesis, 273) at Hebron,
under the great Mosque, It is one of the holiest shrines
of Mohammedanism, .and is venerated also by both Jews
and Christians. Machpelah is mentioned in the Talmud.
Entrance is forbidden Jews and Christians unless they can
secure permission from the Moslem Supreme Council.
“Visitors who have been admitted to the mosque describe
the cenotaphs of Abraham, Isaac, and their wives, as
being covered with elaborately ornamented palls. The
cenotaphs of Jacob and Leah are in a small adjacent struc-
ture. The tombs are said to be in the cave below the
cenotaphs. Moslems claim that the tomb of Joseph is just
outside the Cave of Machpelah, represented by a cenotaph
West of the Mosque of the Women. But see Josh. 24:32”
(HBD, 409). The whole enclosure, we are told, “is
jealously guarded by massive stone walls, probably of Hero-
dian work, though the antiquity of the cave itself and its
furnishings has not. been verified by archaeological re-
search” (NBD, 765). “The cave below has never been
examined in modern times, but it is stated by its guardians
to be double. There is no reason to doubt that the tradi-
tion as to the site has descended from biblical times; and
it is quite probable that the name Makepelah is derived
from the feature just referred toyy (Skinner, ICCG, 339).
2. Provision of a Wife for Isaac (24:l-67)
’
1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age:
and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And
Abrahain said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that
ruled mer all that he had, Put, I Pray thee, thy hand under
nzy thigh: 3 and I will ?nuke thee swear by Jehovah, the
God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou &lt
mot fake a wife for my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whoin I dwell: 4 but thou shalt go unto
my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife far my
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