Hebron travel guide

This article is about the city in the Middle East. For other uses of the name, see Hebron (disambiguation). Hebron (Arabic: al-Ḫalīl or al Khalīl; Hebrew: Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn) is a city at the center of the West Bank, along the eponymous Mount Hebron. It is home to some 166,000 Palestinians and 700-800 Israeli settlers. Hebron lies 930 metres (3,050 ft) above sea level. Located in the Biblical region of Judea, it is the second holiest city in Judaism, after Jerusalem.
The name "Hebron" derives from the Hebrew name for the city, which ultimately comes from חבר (habar 598), meaning "to be joined, coupled, allied." The name "Hebron" traces back to the same root as Haver, or "friend". In Arabic, "Ibrahim al-Khalil" ("إبراهيم الخليل") means "Ibrahim the friend," signifying that, according to Islamic teaching, Allah (God) chose Ibrahim (e.g. Abraham) as his friend.
Hebron is located 30 km south of Jerusalem. It is famous for its grapes, limestone, pottery workshops and glassblowing factories. It is also the location of the major dairy-product manufacturer, al-Juneidi. The old city of Hebron is characterized by narrow, winding streets, flat-roofed stone houses, and old bazaars. It is home to Hebron University and the Palestine Polytechnic University.
The most famous historic site in Hebron sits on the Cave of the Patriarchs. The site is holy to all three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, due to their traditional connections to Abraham. According to Genesis, he purchased the cave and the field surrounding it to bury his wife Sarah, and subsequently Abraham Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were also buried in the cave (the remaining Matriarch, Rachel, is buried outside Bethlehem). For this reason, Jews also call the city "the City of the Patriarchs," and it is the second of the four holiest cities in Judaism (along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Safed).http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/88891http://www.lttn.org/R2_Article6_FocusOnHebron.htm Over and around the cave itself churches, synagogues and mosques have been built throughout history (see "History" below). The Isaac Hall is now the Ibrahimi Mosque, while the Abraham Hall and Jacob Hall serve as a Jewish synagogue. In medieval Christian tradition, Hebron was one of the three cities, the other two being Juttah and Ain Karim, that boasted of being the home of Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zacharias. (...) more....

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