Roof renovations at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron were completed Wednesday after several months of work, Israeli officials said.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs is the burial place of the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah, and is one of Israel’s most visited tourist sites.
The completion came as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as an additional minister within the Defense Ministry with authority over civil affairs in Judea and Samaria, moved to cancel the Hebron agreements and withdraw authority from the Hebron municipality.
Smotrich attended a ceremony marking the project’s completion alongside local officials and security officials.
“This is a historic closing of a circle,” Smotrich said, describing the site as a symbol of Jewish sovereignty. He said the renovations would allow larger numbers of worshippers to pray at the site during the upcoming High Holidays.
The current structure around the tomb was built 2,000 years ago by King Herod the Great. Byzantine and Crusader conquerors turned it into a church. During the Mameluke conquest, the site was converted into a mosque, and Jews were banned from going past the seventh step of a staircase outside the building. Israel liberated the site during the Six-Day War in 1967.
The High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah, which starts at sundown on Friday.
