t was clept sometime the Vale of Mamre, and some-time it was clept the Vale of Tears, because that Adam wept there an hundred year for the death of Abel his son, that Cain slew.  Hebron was wont to be the principal city of the Philistines, and there dwelled some time the giants.  And that city was also sacerdotal, that is to say, sanctuary of the tribe of Judah; and it was so free, that men received there all manner of fugitives of other places for their evil deeds.  In Hebron Joshua, Caleb and their company came first to aspy, how they might win the land of Behest.  In Hebron reigned first king David seven year and a half; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three year and a half.

And in Hebron be all the sepultures of the patriarchs, Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob; and of their wives, Eve, Sarah and Rebecca, and of Leah; the which sepultures the Saracens keep full curiously, and have the place in great reverence for the holy fathers, the patriarchs that lie there.  And they suffer no Christian man to enter into that place, but if it be of special grace of the sultan; for they hold Christian men and Jews as dogs, and they say, that they should not enter into so holy place.  And men clepe that place, where they lie, Double Spelunk, or Double Cave, or Double Ditch, forasmuch as that one lieth above that other.  And the Saracens clepe that place in their language, Karicarba, that is to say, ‘The Place of Patriarchs.’  And the Jews clepe that place Arboth.  And in that same place was Abraham’s house, and there he sat and saw three persons, and worshipped but one; as holy writ saith, Tres vidit et unum adoravit, that is to say, ‘He saw three and worshipped one’: and of those same received Abraham the angels into his house.

And right fast by that place is a cave in the rock, where Adam and Eve dwelled when they were put out of Parad