The Brandon news., 1903-11-26
Holy Land,Canaan or PaleStin
In 81 LETTERS. LETTER NO. 8.
written for Brandon News, by Virgil
HEBRON AND MACHPELAH.

Hebron,-means Society, Association
is a very ancient city of Canaan. Its
present population is from ten to twelve
thousand Jewish and Moslem. Abraham
lived there 1913 years before Christ was
born, or 1916 years ago. "Then Abraham
removed his tent, and came and dwelt in
the plains of Mamre, which is in Hebron,
and built there an alter unto the Lord. J"
(Gen. 1879 Again we learn that when
Sarah, Abraham's wife. died, he bought
MachpeIah from the ''sons of Heth." and
paid four hundred shekels of silver for 1.-THE
first contract on record when money was
paid out; there he laid away his low
ing companion at the age of one hundred
and tWenty-seVen years. "And Sarah
was An hundred and seven and twenty
years old; these were the years of the life
of Sarah, and Sarah died in Kirjatharba,
the same in Hebron in the land of Canaan
and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah,
and to weep for her." Gen. 23:I-2
When the children of Israel and Moses
had reached the border land of Canaan
and had "ptched in the wilderness of
Paran, Moses sent out spies to see the
land of Canaan and bring a report back
to him " So they went up and searched
the land from the wilderness of lin unto
Rehob, as men come to Klamath" And
they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and
cut down from thence a bunch with one
cluster of grapes and they bore it between
two upon a staff. This Eshcol was one
mile north of Hebron After Joshua and
Israel crossed the Jordan, Joshua gave
Caleb, the son of Jephonneh, Hebron
for an inheritance. Caleb was one of the
only two, above tWenty-one years of age
that came through to Canaan after the
false report of the ten spies. He was
eighty-flve years old, when he reached
Canaan; see Josh. 1910.
King David reigned in Hebron seven
years or more, and in Jerusalem thirty
three years and six months. Gil Sam. 5:I-5
All the men of war that could keep
rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron
to make David king over all Isreal." Il
Chron. 1888 Hebron was midway
between Jerusalem and Beersheba, and
twenty miles from each. Hebron IS
one of the oldest cities in the world,
and in this respect it is the rival
of Damascus. Its original name
so called from "Arba," the father of A
(Josh. 2T:II.) 1t was well known town
years ago. The last account have seen
of it is as follows: No city on earth can
claim such long continuous history as
Hebron; certainly the oldest populated
city in Palestine, if not in the world.
Before Rome, or Neneveth or Memphis,
Hebron was in existence. 1t is mentioned
before Damascus, and was built seven
years before Zoan in Egypt, the "Tanis
of the Greeks" Zoan has been in ruins
for two thousand years, its very site
is in diuspte, while Hebron looks as fresh
and thriving as any modern oriental city.
1t is strange how city could exist through
so many ages marked byso manv social. re
ligious and political changes, a city still full
of life and activity, and was standing before
Joseph was sold by his brothers and
before verse of the Bible was written,
and the possibility of finding it after so
long a period. The plain of EshcoI, one
mile north of Hebron, is the place where
the tent of Abraham was pitched, when
he entertained the angels, and the very
cave of Machpelah where the ashes of
the patriarchs sleep; all these places, so
interesting, are still here and may still be
seen any day by the traveller, in that land
of sacred lore. Hebron is beautifully
situated in the Valley of Eshcol among OIL
i've groves and vineyards and near to sum
NIT of highest range of the Judean Noun
tains. This fruitful Valley is still noted
for its fine grapes, single "clusters" of
which may still be found here that would
require two men to carry. The present
name Of the city was probably given in
compliment to Abraham. The Arabic
meaning of Hebron being the city of the
"Friend of God," Abraham having settled
here soon after parting with his nephew,
Lot, on their return from Egypt. Here he
abode for many years, here Isaac also
lived, and here also Sarah died About
one mile up the Valley of EschoI, north
of Hebron, and the only point in the
neighborhood that overIooks the Valley
of the Dead Sea, or from which the smoke
of burning Sodom could be seen, is the !
plain, or more properly the grove of
Mamre, only another name for Hebron
the first permanent home of the patriarch
in Canaan. In this locality, and near the +
base of some very old buildings, may still
be seen the grand old Oak of Abraham"