Now concerning the hill of Mambre. The hill of Mambre is towards
the north, separated by a distance of a mile from the tombs described
above. It is very grassy and flowery and looks towards Chebron which
5]
faces it from the south-west. This little mount called Mambre has a
level plateau on top, and at the northern extremity of the summit a large
stone church is erected. At the southern side of this, between the two
walls of the great basilica, wonderful to relate, there stands rooted in the
earth the oak of Mambre, which is also called the oak of Abraham, because
10]
once upon a time he entertained angels under it. The holy Jerome tells
elsewhere that it remained from the beginning of the world up to the
reign of Constantine. It was for this reason perhaps that he did not say
it had perished completely, because at that time, though the whole huge
oak was no longer on view (as it was formerly), yet a portion of it remained
15]
fixed in the site. Of this, as Arculf relates, who saw it with his own eyes,
there still remains a truncated spur1 rooted in the earth. It is protected
under the roof of the church, and its measure is about the size of two
men. Now this cropped spur is hewn about on every side by axes,
little splinters being carried away to the divers provinces of the
20]
world, out of veneration and remembrance for the oak, under which, as
was mentioned above, the famous and noteworthy meeting with the
angels was once vouchsafed to Abraham the patriarch. Round about the
church which is built there out of veneration for the place, one may
view a few dwellings which have been set up for nuns. But let that
25]
suffice about these: let us hasten to other things.