Genesis 23: Burial of Sarah at Mechpelah
Sarah dies at Hebron in Canaan and Abraham barters for a burial cave and field from Ephron. While Abraham is offered the burial site for free, he wants to buy the cave and so Ephron sells him the cave and the field where it is located for a lot of money.
The cave today is covered by a shrine called the Tomb of the Patriarchs. It is controlled by both Jews and Muslims and each are not allowed to visit the others areas except on a few special days of the year – but visitors (pagans) can visit all areas – ironic. The actual cave is closed off and cannot be visited.
Abraham and Sarah, Issac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried in the cave.
The history of the cave would make for a great historical action novel. It even includes the Crusaders who may have stolen the bones and sold them to visiting penitents. In the 1980s a group of Jews stole into the blocked off cave and found pottery and bones that dated to the time of Abraham. When the Muslims found out, they were livid and the cave entrance was sealed off with concrete. Muslims hate and try to destroy any evidence of Jewish precedence.
I love archaeology because it always supports the historicity of the Bible and it buttresses my faith. Atheists contest the Biblical narrative but even the bones and stones cry out the truth of God.