JD: In that area in Hebrew the term Kiryat Arba is talking about the village of the four that we’re talking about in the cave where the Patriarchs are buried. That would be three families Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives. I understand the fourth in that quartet that are buried there at Machpelah Cave would be Adam and Eve. Is that pretty much on target?
DW: That’s one hundred percent correct. According to very very ancient Jewish tradition that’s brought down in some of our holiest literature. It’s written that Abraham actually discovered the caves of Machpelah when he went into this dark cave and he saw a light at the end of it. And he went in to see where the light was coming from and there he found candles lit at the tombs of Adam and Eve. It’s written that after they were exiled from the Garden of Eden they wanted to go back. They liked it there, it was nice but they didn’t know where it was. So they searched until they came to a particular place where they could smell the unique fragrances of the Garden of Eden.
The first man then it’s written dug a cave within a cave until the voice in the heavens told him that that’s as far as he could go. And that’s where Eve was buried and he was later buried. Actually the site remained hidden until Abraham discovered this. And realizing how important the place was and how significant and holy it was he decided when the opportunity presented itself he would purchase this. So it would be for his family and for his people. And as such he paid 400 silver shekels as recording in the Bible. If people want to have an idea what a cave cost in Hebron today that’s valued at about 700,000 dollars. So I always tell people to come in if they want a cheaper cave I can find them a cheaper cave. But that’s how it all started.
JD: David Wilder in Hebron giving us the details on the burial site of Adam and Eve.
