FROM CAVE TO MOSQUE AND SYNAGOGUE

2000 BC: Abraham, the first Jew, makes his home in Hebron. He later buys the cave of Machpelah from Ephron for 400 shekels. Abraham is buried in the cave.

6 BC: Byzantine Church built at the site of the cave. Jews are allowed to build a synagogue.

Around 35 BC: The massive structure that now marks the site of the cave was built - probably by Herod.

AD 950-1000: Muslims build Ibrahim's Mosque over the Tomb of Abraham.

AD 1100: Crusaders conquer Hebron. They destroy the synagogue and convert the mosque back into a church. Jews and Muslims are massacred.

AD 1250-1300: Muslim Mamelukes conquer the site of Abraham's Tomb and convert the church back into a mosque. Jews are allowed to enter Hebron but barred from entering the cave.

1929: 63 Jews are killed in a pogrom during Arab riots. Jews flee.

1948: State of Israel created.

1967: Hebron surrenders to Israeli Army in 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. Jews can visit Hebron and the cave again.

1968: Rabbi Moshe Levinger and a group of orthodox Jews take over Arab hotel in Hebron despite an Israeli government ban. The first settlers arrive.

1971: Jewish settlers move to Israeli military camp in Hebron.

1972: Israeli government caves in and allows Levinger group to establish settlement at Kiryat Arba, adjoining Hebron.

1979: Miriam Levinger, the Rabbi's wife, leads a group of women and children in the occupation of Beit Hadassah in the town center.

1980: Six religious Jewish students gunned down by Palestinian gunmen while singing to the women of Beit Hadassah.

February 1994: Baruch Goldstein opens fire on praying Muslims, killing 29. The cave is closed to both Muslims and Jews.

November 1994: The cave is reopened with separate entrances and partitioned by a metal gate.