“Hébron – Le Haram El–Khalil, Sépulture des Patriarches” [“Hebron – Cave of the Patriarchs”], by Louis–Hugues Vincent, Félix–Marie Abel, and Ernest John Henry Mackay. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1923. French and some Arabic.
An impressive work of research accompanied by a portfolio of sketches, diagrams, and photos, presenting a comprehensive survey of the building constructed over Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs. The research was conducted by a pair of scholars from the French School of Biblical and Archeological Research, Jerusalem (École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem) – Louis–Hugues Vincent and Félix–Marie Abel – who were assisted by a representative of the Antiquities Department of the British Mandatory authorities.
The accompanying portfolio contains 28 plates: illustrations, photographs, and sketches of the Cave of the Patriarchs. These include a panoramic view of the Old City of Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs complex; photographs taken inside the Cave and adjacent to it; five large, folded plates: floor plan of the building’s interior and schematic diagrams of its exterior, and more. In addition, the book itself contains dozens of photographs, drawings, as well as texts of wall inscriptions.

Book: [1], iv, 256, [1] p., 38.5 cm. Portfolio of prints: [4] pp. (printed on folded sheets, unopened), and xxviii printed pls., approx. 40 cm. Good condition. Few stains and blemishes. Slight tears to edges of several plates. Portfolio somewhat blemished and worn; binding cords missing; volume containing study, including original cover, rebound with new binding.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, No. ALE.11.