Mamre

Meaning: manliness

This is the name of a biblical man and a place…

1. Mamre, an Amorite chief in alliance with Abraham (Genesis 14:13, 24)

2. Mamre, the name of the place in the neighborhood of Hebron where Abraham dwelt (Genesis 23:17, 19; 35:27); called also in King James Version (13:18) the “plain of mamre,” but in Revised King James Version more correctly “the oaks [marginal note, terebinths] of Mamre”

   The name probably denotes the “oak grove” or the “wood of Mamre,” thus designated after Abraham’s ally.

   This “grove” must have been within sight of or “facing” Machpelah. The site of Mamre has been identified with Ballatet Selta, i.e., “the oak of rest”, where there is a tree called “Abraham’s oak,” about a mile and a half west of Hebron. Others identify it with er-Rameh, 2 miles north of Hebron.

   See 25 minute streaming video “MAMRE — Where God Appeared to Abraham” by archaeologist Joel P. Kramer (Expedition Bible) / “It is often said that there is no archaeological proof for Abraham. If that is the case, then what explanation is there for what was basically nothing but an ancient campsite still being revered over 4000 years later? Join Joel as he explains the archaeological and spiritual significance of Mamre… where God appeared to Abraham and made a promise that still blesses us today!”