Ephron the Hittite

"Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth"

After Sarah died, Abraham bargained with Ephron the Hittite for the property that became one of the most famous Bible Places in the Middle East:

"And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you."

"And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead."

"And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there."

"And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead."

"And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant."

"And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in The Land Of Canaan." (Genesis 23:7-19 KJV)

In later years, Abraham himself died and was buried in the cave that he purchased from Ephron.

"And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife" (Genesis 25:7-10 KJV)

Abraham's son Isaac was later buried in the same cave, and when Isaac's son Jacob, who God renamed Israel, knew that his own death was coming, he instructed his sons that he too was to be buried there along with his wife Leah (Jacob's other wife, Rachel, who was Leah's sister, is buried at Bethlehem).

"And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah." (Genesis 49:29-31 KJV)

So when the time came, Jacob's sons took their father back from Egypt and buried him in the family burial cave that Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite (Jacob's sons, with the exception of Joseph, whose bones were taken out of Egypt by Moses at the time of the Exodus centuries later, were themselves likely buried in Egypt - see Where Are The Israelite Patriarchs Buried?)

"And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre" (Genesis 50:12-13 KJV)

Fact Finder: Who were the Hittites of Bible History?
See Hittites

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