ts of the
three great religions--Jews, Moslems, and Christians. The space
containing the caves is inclosed by a great quadrangle of masonry
197 feet long and 111 feet wide called the Haram. Within this
inclosure, directly over the caves, is built a mosque. For six
hundred years no European except, in disguise was known to have
set foot in the sacred precincts. In 1862 the Prince of Wales
was given permission, with much reluctance, to visit the
inclosure. Since then a few visits have been made, but the cave
itself has never been explored. A few visitors have been
permitted to look down a shaft in the rock beneath the mosque,
but there is no positive information as to what exists below the
surface.
[End illustration]

{45}

DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH.

_Abraham Buys a Place to Lay His Dead_.

And the life of Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years: these
were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba
(the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn
for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his
dead, and spoke unto the children of Heth, saying, "I am a stranger
and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with
you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, "Hear us,
my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our
sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his
sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead."

And Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even
to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, "If it be
your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and
intreat for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar, that he may give me the
cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field;
for the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a
possession of a burying place."

Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth: and
Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, "Nay,
my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein,
I give it {46} thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I
it thee: bury thy dead."

And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. And he
spoke unto Ephron in the