Editing Hebron (section)

===Crusader and Ayyubid period===
{{see also|Vassals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem}}
The [[Caliphate]] lasted in the area until 1099, when the Christian [[Crusade]]r [[Godfrey de Bouillon]] took Hebron and renamed it "Castellion Saint Abraham".<ref>{{harvnb|Robinson|Smith|1856|p=78}}:"'The Castle of St. Abraham' was the generic Crusader name for Hebron."</ref> It was designated capital of the southern district of the Crusader [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]]<ref>Avraham Lewensohn. ''Israel tourguide'', 1979. p. 222.</ref> and given, in turn,<ref>{{harvnb|Murray|2000|p=107}}</ref> as the fief of Saint Abraham, to [[Geldemar Carpenel|Geldemar Carpinel]], the bishop Gerard of Avesnes,<ref>{{harvnb|Runciman|1965a|p=307}} Runciman also (pp. 307–08) notes that Gerard of Avesnes was a knight from [[County of Hainaut|Hainault]] held hostage at [[Arsuf]], north of [[Jaffa]], who had been wounded by Godfrey's own forces during the siege of the port, and later returned by the Muslims to Godfrey as a token of good will.</ref> Hugh of Rebecques, Walter Mohamet and Baldwin of Saint Abraham. As a [[Franks|Frankish]] garrison of the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]], its defense was precarious being 'little more than an island in a Moslem ocean'.<ref>{{harvnb|Runciman|1965b|p=4}}</ref> The Crusaders converted the [[mosque]] and the [[synagog]] into a church. In 1106, an Egyptian campaign thrust into southern Palestine and almost succeeded the following year in wresting Hebron back from the Crusaders under [[Baldwin I of Jerusalem]], who personally led the counter-charge to beat the Muslim forces off. In the year 1113 during the reign of [[Baldwin II of Jerusalem]], according to [[Ali ibn abi bakr al-Harawi|Ali of Herat]] (writing in 1173), a certain part over the cave of Abraham had given way, and "a number of Franks had made their entrance therein". And they discovered "(the bodies) of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", "their shrouds having fallen to pieces, lying propped up against a wall...Then the King, after providing new shrouds, caused the place to be closed once more". Similar information is given in [[Ali ibn al-Athir|Ibn at Athir]]'s Chronicle under the year 1119; "In this year was opened the tomb of Abraham, and those of his two sons Isaac and Jacob ...Many people saw the Patriarch. Their limbs had nowise been [[Disturbance (archaeology)|disturbed]], and beside them were placed lamps of gold and of silver."<ref>{{harvnb|Le Strange|1890|pp=[[commons:File:Strange.317.jpg|317]]–[[commons:File:Strange.318.jpg|18]]}}</ref> The [[Damascus|Damascene]] nobleman and historian [[Ibn al-Qalanisi]] in his chronicle also alludes at this time to the discovery of [[relics]] purported to be those of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a discovery that excited eager curiosity among all three communities in Palestine, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian.<ref>{{harvnb|Kohler|1896|pp=447ff.}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Runciman|1965b|p=319}}.</ref> Towards the end of the period of Crusader rule, in 1166 [[Maimonides]] visited Hebron and wrote,<blockquote>On Sunday, 9 Marheshvan (October 17), I left Jerusalem for Hebron to kiss the tombs of my ancestors in the Cave. On that day, I stood in the cave and prayed, praise be to God, (in gratitude) for everything.<ref>{{harvnb|Kraemer|2001|p=422}}.</ref></blockquote>

A royal domain, Hebron was handed over to [[Philip of Milly]] in 1161 and joined with the [[Oultrejordain|Seigneurie of Transjordan]]. A bishop was appointed to Hebron in 1168 and the new cathedral church of St Abraham was built in the southern part of the Haram.<ref>{{harvnb|Boas|1999|p=52}}.</ref> In 1167, the [[Hebron (titular see)|episcopal see of Hebron]] was created along with that of [[Kerak]] and [[Sebastia, Nablus|Sebastia]] (the tomb of [[John the Baptist]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Richard|1999|p=112}}.</ref> In 1170, [[Benjamin of Tudela]] visited Hebron, referred to as in its Frankish name ''St. Abram de Bron''.<ref name=":9">{{harvnb|Benjamin|1907|p=25}}.</ref> He mentioned the great church called St. Abram, which was once a Jewish place of worship during the time of Muslim rule.<ref name=":9" /> The Gentiles had erected six tombs there, claimed to be those of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah.<ref name=":9" /> The custodians collected money from pilgrims by presenting these tombs as the tombs of the Patriarchs.<ref name=":9" /> However, if a Jew offered a special reward, they would open an iron gate leading to a series of empty caves, until reaching the third cave where the actual sepulchers of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs were said to be located.<ref name=":9" />

The Kurdish Muslim [[Saladin]] retook Hebron in 1187 – again with Jewish assistance according to one late tradition, in exchange for a letter of security allowing them to return to the city and build a synagog there.<ref>{{harvnb|Gil|1997|p=207}}. Note to editors. This account, always in Moshe Gil, refers to two distinct events, the Arab conquest from Byzantium, and the Kurdish-Arab conquest from Crusaders. In both the manuscript is a monkish chronicle, and the words used, and event described is identical. We may have a secondary source confusion here.</ref> The name of the city was changed back to ''Al-Khalil''. A [[Kurd]]ish quarter still existed in the town during the early period of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule.<ref>{{harvnb|Sharon|2003|p=297}}.</ref> [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]] retook the city soon after. [[Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall|Richard of Cornwall]], brought from England to settle the dangerous feuding between [[Knights Templar|Templars]] and [[Knights Hospitaller|Hospitallers]], whose rivalry imperiled the treaty guaranteeing regional stability stipulated with the Egyptian [[Sultan]] [[As-Salih Ayyub]], managed to impose peace on the area. But soon after his departure, feuding broke out and in 1241 the Templars mounted a damaging raid on what was, by now, Muslim Hebron, in violation of agreements.<ref>{{harvnb|Runciman|1965c|p=219}}</ref>

In 1244, the [[Khwarazmian dynasty#Mercenaries|Khwarazmians]] destroyed the town, but left the sanctuary untouched.<ref name="Salaville 1910 185"/>