UNESCO Claims Jewish Tomb for Islam

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided in October of 2015 that Rachel's Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron is now a Muslim site.  Never mind that the Bible clearly records Abraham bought the Cave in Hebron hundreds of years before Christ.  Author Tzi Ben Gedalyahu records that the UNESCO committee voted 26-2 (25 countries without a spine abstained from voting at all).

While tourists from around the world travel to Jerusalem to visit the site of the ancient Jewish temple where the Muslims have built a mosque and the Dome of the Rock few pay much attention to the large edifice in Hebron that stands as a reminder of the father of Judaism and the Christian faith.  When Sarah died Abraham bought the burial cave in Hebron (Gen 23:19).  The cave of Machpelah, about 19 miles south of Jerusalem, is where Herod built this grand monument to the patriarchs shortly before the time of Christ.  Unlike the temple site in Jerusalem it was not molested in the same way the Romans did to other ancient sites.  The huge stones laid by Herod are still intact with additional Muslim minaret and other construction which was added later.

Inside are cenotaphs marking the burial places of Isaac and Rebekah with classic Muslim red stripes.  In the 7th century what was then a church was converted into a Mosque then some time later Crusaders turned it back into a church.  In 1250 the Mamelukes conquered Israel and it once again became a mosque.

The Muslim prayer niche (mahrib) and pulpit (minbar) are very ornate and surrounded in Islamic green.

Notice there are no Arab Muslims buried in Machpelah, nor was Ishmael, he was buried in Arabia  (Gen. 25:17, 18).  Muslim tradition claim Ishmael is buried in Mecca next to the Ka'aba.