Topical Bible: Holy Land was the Burial Place of the Patriarchs

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Holy Land, often referred to as the Promised Land, holds profound significance in biblical history as the burial place of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who are foundational figures in the Judeo-Christian tradition. This sacred geography is not only a testament to the faith and covenantal promises of God but also serves as a tangible link to the ancestral heritage of Israel.

Abraham's Burial

Abraham, the father of many nations, was buried in the cave of Machpelah, located in Hebron, in the land of Canaan. This site was the first piece of land that Abraham owned in the Promised Land, purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place for his wife, Sarah. Genesis 23:19-20 records, "After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site."

Isaac's Burial

Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, was also laid to rest in the cave of Machpelah. Genesis 35:29 states, "Then Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." This burial site, shared with his father Abraham and later his son Jacob, underscores the continuity of God's covenant through the generations.

Jacob's Burial

Jacob, also known as Israel, was buried in the same revered location. Before his death in Egypt, Jacob made his son Joseph swear to bury him in the land of his fathers. Genesis 49:29-31 recounts Jacob's instructions: "Then Jacob instructed them, 'I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.'"

Significance of the Burial Site

The burial of the patriarchs in the Holy Land is emblematic of the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and his descendants. The cave of Machpelah, as a family burial site, symbolizes the enduring faith and hope in God's covenant. It serves as a physical reminder of the divine promise that the land of Canaan would belong to Abraham's offspring, a promise reiterated throughout the Scriptures.

The patriarchs' burial in the Holy Land also reflects the deep connection between the people of Israel and the land itself, a connection that is both spiritual and historical. This sacred geography is a testament to the faithfulness of God and the enduring legacy of the patriarchs, whose lives and deaths continue to inspire and instruct believers today.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 49:29-31
And he charged them, and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 50:13,25
For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burial plot of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Death of the Blessed virgin Mary at Ephesus
... a short time before; he often traveled to the Promised Land. ... at the head and foot
of the holy body ... at the entrance, and then one saw the burial-place before one ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xviii the death of the.htm

Appendix D.
... said to have been "full of the Holy Ghost," so ... Stephen says, is, that Abraham bought
the burial-place "of the ... spot in India, where the value of land was fully ...
//christianbookshelf.org/burgon/inspiration and interpretation/appendix d.htm

Chapter xxviii
... patriarchs have as yet no permanent possession except a burial place. ... heaven and
earth, mediated through God's holy angels and ... "To this land," 'adhamah "to ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxviii.htm

Funeral Oration on Meletius .
... of thought he may set foot upon that holy land where there ... he would take the same
pains over the burial of an ... over a Socrates, and that he would place the same ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/funeral oration on meletius.htm

Chapter xlix
... displayed this attitude, though not in a holy cause, in ... of his own possession" in
the land where he ... renders it well Erbbegraebnis, "a hereditary burial plot.". ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlix.htm

Chapter xxxv
... who failed to recognize that the holy place was meant ... does not necessarily involve
that the burial took place ... may have been several such Ephraths in the land. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... 46:12, 17), adds in their place four sons ... of Joseph's interment in the Holy Land
being postponed ... and many other particulars, including Leah's death and burial. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Papal Tombs.
... martyrs, and obeyed the rule which forbade burial within the ... the British Isles was
composed of three holy men, Mellitus ... spring of 596, but could not land on the ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter v papal tombs.htm

Questions.
... 64. What of the dying among the wicked and the burial?"Psalm 88:3, 4."Isaiah
53:9. ... What festival was taking place? 27. ... Why could not the Holy Land be kept? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the ...
... His saving cross, His death and His burial, and resurrection ... do Thou give rest there
in the land of the ... and of Isaac, and of Jacob, our holy fathers; whence ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/various/early liturgies/the divine liturgy of james.htm