Hebron, Palestine, August 20, 2025
The Oak of Mamre. Photo: hebron.org
Residents of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission’s monastery in Hebron, Palestine, successfully prevented an arson attack from destroying an ancient oak tree venerated as the site where Abraham met the Lord and two angels, according to a report from the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
The attempted arson occurred on August 15, when unknown perpetrators targeted the monastery grounds dedicated to the Holy Forefathers. The fire nearly reached the ancient Oak of Mamre before monastery residents detected it and responded quickly with available firefighting equipment. They then called the fire company, which arrived promptly at the scene.
According to police investigation, the fire was deliberately set when perpetrators threw hot coals wrapped in foil over the monastery fence, igniting nearby trees. The situation was made more dangerous by several days of intense heat that had dried out the vegetation.
Hieromonk Ambrose (Ignatov), key-keeper of the Holy Forefathers Monastery, confirmed that the monastery and its holy sites are currently secure and undamaged.
The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem and the Representative Office of the Russian Federation to the Palestinian National Authority are maintaining contact with local authorities in Hebron to investigate the incident.
According to Genesis 18, it was at the Oak of Mamre near Hebron where Abraham received three mysterious visitors, interpreted as the pre-Incarnate Christ and two angels, who announced that his elderly wife Sarah would bear a son. The location is thus one of the most sacred sites in Biblical history.
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