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Martin Gray/National Geographic Creative

CAVE OF THE PATRIARCHS AND MATRIARCHS. A large structure stands atop the Cave of the Patriarchs (or the Machpelah Cave), the traditional burial site of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah in Hebron. According to style and technique, it was built by King Herod the Great, making it the only intact Herodian edifice still standing. Yet its construction is not explicitly mentioned in historical texts. Over the centuries, numerous Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims have visited the site, which is revered by all three faiths. Various conquerors have left their mark on the structure by adding features to its interior.