Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/546

 liAOUUTUS

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MAOHUTtTS

was later Abraham himself (xxv, 9). The words of the dying Jacob inform us that Rebecca and Lia were also buried in this cave (xlix, 31), and, lastly, Jacob found there his last resting place (1, 13). According to the Hebrew text, which always uses the word Mcxh- pdah with the article, the Machpelah \b the place in which the field with the cave is to be found. Thus we read *' the cave in the field of the Machpelah" in Gen., xxiii, 17, 19; xlix, 30; 1, 13, "the cave of the Mach- pelah" is twice mentioned (xxiii, 9; xxv, 9). But in the Greek text the word is rendered "the double cave " — by derivation from the root kafalf * ' to double ". This meaning is admitted into l^e Targum, into the Syrian translation and into the Vulgate.

In the later books of the Old Testament Machpelah is not mentioned. Josephus, however, knows the tomb of Abraham and his descendants in the district then known as Hebron (Antig., I, xiv, 1; xxii, lj,xxi, 3). According to this historian (op. cit., 11, viii, 2), the brothers of Joseph were also interred in their ancestral burial-place — a hypothesis for which there is no foundation m Holy Wnt. A Rabbinic tradition of not much later date on the strength of a misinter- pretation of Jos., xiv, 15 (Hebron-Kiriath Arba — ''City of Four") wouJd place the graves of four Patriarchs at Hebron, and, relying on the same pas- sage, declares Adam to be the fourth Patriarch. St. Jerome accepted this interpretation (see "Oiio- masticon des Eusebius ", ed. Klostermann, lieipzig, 1904, p. 7), and introduced it into the Vulgate. Ac- cording to Rabbinic legends, Ksau also was buried in the neighbourhood. Since the sixth century the grave of Joseph has been pointed out at Hebron (Itinerar. Antonini), in spite ot Jos., xxiv, 32, while the Moham- medans even to-day regard an Arabian building joined to the north-west of the Haram as Joseph's tomb. The tomb mentioned by Josephus is undoubtedly the Haram situated in the south-east Quarter of Hebron (£1-Khalil). The shrine facing north-west and south- east forms a spacious rectangle 197 feet long by 111 feet wide, and rises to a height of about 40 feet. The mighty blocks of limestone as hard as marble, dressed and closely fitted (" beautiful, artistically carved mar- ble ", Josephus, " Bell. Jud.", IV, ix, 7), have acquired with age almost the tint of bronze. The monotony of the long lines is reheved by rectangular pilasters, six- teen on each side and eight at the top and bottom. Of the builder tradition is silent; Josephus is ignorant of his identity. Its resemblance in style to the Haram at Jerusalem has led many to refer it to the Herodian period, e. g., Conder, Benzin^er. Robinson, Warren, and Heidet regard the building as pre-Herodian.

Since Josephus tradition has no doubt preserved the site correctly. Eusebius merely mentions the burial- place (" Onoraasticon", ed. Klostermann, s. v." Arbo", p. 6) ; the Pilgrim of Bordeaux (333) speaks explicitly of a rectangidar building of magnificent stone \" Itin- era Hieros.", ed. Geyer, "Corpus Script. Eccl. Lat,", XXXIX, Vienna, 1898, p. 25). In his version of the " Onomasticon ", St. Jerome unfortunately does not express himself clearly; it is doubtful whether the church, which he declares to have been recently built (a nostru ibidem jam ezstructa), is to be sought in the mau- soleum or at Haram Ramet el Khalil, half an hour's journey north of Hebron. The "Itinerarium" of St. Antoninus (c. 570) mentions a basihca with four halls (perhaps four porches about the walls) at the graves of the Patriarchs, possessing an open court, and eoually venerated by Christians and Jews (" It. Hieros., ed. Geyer, 178 sq.}. About 700, Adamnan informs us. on the authority of Arculf, that the burial-place of the Patriarchs is surrounded by a rectangular wall, and that over the graves stand monuments, but there is no mention of a basilica ("De Loois Sanct.", II. x, Geyer, 261 sq^. The following centuries (Mukka- dasi, Saewulf, Daniel— 985, 1102, 1106) throw no new light on the question. In 1 1 19 a Christian diurch was

undoubtedly to be found there, either the old feyzaii- tine or the Crusader's church, which, to iudge from the style, apparently dates from the middle of the twelfth century. Remains from early times are still perceptible, but they do not enable one to form any judgment concerning the old basilica; what still re- mained of it at the period of the Crusades is uncer- tain. According to a rather improbable statement of Benjamin of TudeLa, a Jewish synagogue stood in the Hamm before the re-establishment of Christian domi- nation. After the downfall of the Prankish kingdom, the Latin church was converted into the present mosque. This is built* in the southern section of the Haram in such a position as to utilize three of the boundary walls. The interior is seventy feet long and ninety-three feet wide; four pillars divide it into three aisles of almost the same breadth, but of unequal length. The entrance to the Haram is effected by means of two Rights of steps, a specimen of Arabian art of the fourteenth century.

According to a late and unreliable Mohammedan tradition, the tombs of the Patriarchs lie under six monuments: to Isaac and Rebecca are assigned those within the mosque itself; to Abraham and Sara the next two, in front of the north wall of the mosc^ue in two chapels of the narthex; those of Jacob and Lia are the last two at the north end of the Haram. Concern- ing the subterranean chambers we possess only inex- act information. The Jewish accounts (Benjamin of Tudela, 1160-73; Rabbi Petacchia, 1175^80; David Reubeni, 1525) are neither clear nor uniform. An extensive investigation was undertaken by the Latin monks of Kiriath Arba (D. V. Cariath-Arbe-Hebron) in 1 1 19, but was never completed. After several days of laborious work, they disclosed a whole system of subterranean chambers, in which it was believed that at last the much-souglit-f or " double cave " with the remains of the three Patriarchs had been discovered. In 1859, by means of an entrance in the porch of the mosque between the sarcophagi of Abraham and Sara, the Italian Pierotti succeeded in descending some steps of a stairway hewn in the rock. According to Pierotti's observations, the cavity extends the whole length of the Haram. Owing to tlie intolerance of the Mohammedans, all subsequent attempts of English and German investigators (1862, 1869, 1882) have led to no sati^actory results. Concerning the plan of and connexion between the underground chambers no judgment can be formed without fresh investigation.

Robinson, BibHcal Researchee in PaleMins, U (Boston, 1841), 76 sqq.; Memoirs on the Surveu of Weetem Palestine, III (Lon- don. 1883), 333 sqq.; Palestine Exploration Fund, Quarterly Statement (1882), 197 sqq. (1897). 53 sqq.; lb Stranob, PoIm- tine under the Moslems (London, 1890). 309 sera.; Ada SS., IV, Oct.. 688 sqq.; Riant, Archives de V Orient latin, II (Grenoa, 1884), 411 sqq.; PiERom, MaepSla ou tombeaux des patiriar^ies rLausanne, 1809); Heidet in Vzgouroux, DieC de la Bible, a. v. MacpHaK,

A. MSRK*

MachutUB, Saint (Maclovius; Malo), b. about the year 520 probably in Wales and baptized by St. Brendan. Machutus became his favourite disciple and was one of those specially selected by that holy man for his oft-described voyage. No doubt he may have remained some years in Llancarrven Abbey, when St. Brendan stayed there, and it was from there that St. Brendan and his disciple, St. Machutus, with numerous companions set forth for the discovery of the "Island of the Blest". He then put to sea on a second voyage and visited the Island of September, in the seawara front of St. Malo, known as Chzembra, where he tarried for some time. It was on the occa- sion of his second voyage that he evangelized the Orkney Islands and the northern isles of Scotland. At Aleth opposite St. Malo he placed himself under a venerable nermit named Aaron, on whose death in 543 (or 544), St. Machutus succeeded to the spiritual rule of the district subeequently known aa ^t. '^&&k^^ vksi^^