Location
Overview
Mamre was a grove of great trees ("the plain[s] of Mamre") beside Hebron, where Abraham made his home for much of his life in Canaan.
Abraham's dwelling and altar
"Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD" (Genesis 13:18). From here he went to rescue Lot, and here he received God's covenant promises.
The three visitors
By the oaks of Mamre, in the heat of the day, the LORD appeared to Abraham as three men. He ran to welcome them, and there received the promise that Sarah would bear a son within the year (Genesis 18:1–10).
Near the burial cave
Mamre lay beside the field of Machpelah, where Abraham buried Sarah and was himself later buried (Genesis 23:17–19; 25:9). It remained a patriarchal landmark "before Mamre."
Events Here
Abram settles and builds an altar at the oaks of Mamre
The LORD appears to Abraham at Mamre and promises Isaac
Scripture References
10 versesGenesis10 verses
Genesis 13:18
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. plain: Heb. plains
Genesis 14:13
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
Genesis 14:24
Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Genesis 23:17
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
Genesis 23:19
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 25:9
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;
Genesis 35:27
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
Genesis 49:30
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.
Genesis 50:13
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.
Archaeology & History
Mamre is generally located at Ramat el-Khalil, a couple of miles north of Hebron, where the remains of an enclosure (later monumentalised by Herod and others) mark a long-venerated site associated with Abraham's oak and altar.
People who appear here
Frequently asked about Mamre
Where is Mamre today?
Today, Mamre corresponds to Ramat el-Khalil, near Hebron.
What happened at Mamre in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Mamre include abram settles and builds an altar at the oaks of mamre; the lord appears to abraham at mamre and promises isaac.
Where is Mamre first mentioned in the Bible?
Mamre is first mentioned in Genesis 13:18.
How often is Mamre mentioned in the Bible?
Mamre is mentioned in 10 verses across 1 book: Genesis.
What happened at Mamre?
Abraham camped and built an altar among the oaks of Mamre by Hebron, and there the LORD appeared to him as three visitors and promised the birth of Isaac.
Where was Mamre?
A grove of trees beside Hebron in the hill country of Canaan, traditionally located at Ramat el-Khalil just north of the city.