Hebron

An ancient city of Judah, 3040 feet above the Mediterranean, 20 miles south of Jerusalem; known also as Mamre and Kirjath-arba (Gen. 13:18; 35:27). It was the burying place of Abraham and his family (23:2, 19; 49:29–32), and became the property of Caleb (Josh. 14:13–15). It was one of the six cities of refuge (Josh. 20:7), a Levitical city (Josh. 21:11, 13), and David’s capital during the earlier part of his reign (2 Sam. 5:3–5). During the later history of the nation it continued to be a place of importance, and it still has a large population.