Hebron is a holy place for Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. It is the site of the tomb of Abraham, the great prophet and father of the Arab and Jewish peoples. Hebron is also a major center of the tribe of Judah, and was commanded by God to be visited by King David. The city has a long history, with evidence of Jewish presence in the area dating back to 700 BC.
During this time, stamps with Hebrew letters (LMLK stamps) were found in the area. Notable rabbis such as Nachmanides (1270) and Ishtori HaParchi (132) visited Hebron and highlighted its old Jewish cemetery. The only exception was Yaakov ben Shalom Ezra, an eighth-generation Hebronite who processed dairy products in the city and blended in with his social landscape. In 1931, a Jewish community was re-established in Hebron, but it was destroyed again in 1936 due to terror attacks.
This was compounded by Egypt importing cheap European glass, the diversion of the Hajj from Damascus through Transjordan, and the Suez Canal (186). After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the invasion of Arab armies, Hebron was captured and occupied by the Jordanian Arab Legion. The walls of Hebron were built with gigantic stones, earning it the name “Cyclopean wall” (wall of giants). During the first war against the Romans, Simon Bar Giora, leader of the Sicarii, conquered Hebron.
The victims of the 1929 riots are buried in the former Jewish cemetery in Hebron. In 1968, a group of Jews led by Rabbi Moshe Levinger rented out a hotel in Hebron and refused to leave. This led to an increase in settlement activity in Hebron and Negev during the 8th century BC. In 1979-1980, Jews returned to Hebron after reoccupying Beit Hadassah.
Unfortunately, this return was met with violence. In 1929, riots broke out in Hebron which caused 67 deaths and many injuries. These riots spread to other parts of Palestine resulting in 66 more deaths. According to an Assyrian clay tablet from Sennacherib's reign, 46 cities in Judea were conquered including Hebron.
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