Arbe

ARBE, otherwise Hebron. Arbe was probably the first founder of Hebron, as Iconius intimates. Arbe was at first possessed by the Giants of the race of Anak; afterwards it was given to the Tribe of Judah, and the property of it yielded to Caleb. The Rabbins have a tradition, which is related by S. Jerom in his Hebrew Questions upon Genesis, that Hebron was called Arbe, that is to say, four, because the four most illustrious Patriarchs Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried there; or as others think, because four of the most celebrated Matrons of Antiquity were interr’d there, viz. Eve, Sarah, Rebeccah and Leah. But there is no account to be made of these rabbinical Traditions.

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