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[[Image:philoxenie-abrahaam.jpeg|right|thumbnail|Abraham's Hospitality at the Mambre Oak Tree, Η Φιλοξενία του Αβρααμ (gr.)]]The '''Oak of Mamre''' (also called the '''Oak of Sibta'''), at Hirbet es-Sibte, two kilometres southwest of Mamre<ref>'''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''(KJV)</ref>, also called ''The Oak of Abraham''<ref>The Hebrew term ''Eloney Mamreh'' of Genesis 13:18 is considered by some translators to be a name of a region in Canaan. Other scholars dispute this and suggest that it is the reference to the terebinth trees of Mamre; or to the ''Oak of Mamre'', which is know known as ''Abraham's Oak''</ref> is an ancient tree which, in tradition, is said to mark the place where Abraham entertained the three angels<ref> [http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/hebron.html ''New Challenge for Arafat: A Russian Church''] by Serge Schmemann for the New York Times, July 11, 1997. </ref> or where Abraham pitched his tent. It is estimated that this oak is approximately 5,000 years old.
The site of the oak was acquired in 1868 by Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) for the [[Church of Russia]] and the nearby Monastery of the Holy Trinity was founded nearby.<ref>The Hebron Monastery has emerged as a political issue between Russia and Palestinian authorities.</ref> The site has since been a major attraction for Russian [[Pilgrimage|pilgrims]] before the revolution, and is the only functioning Christian shrine in the Hebron region. After the Russian Revolution, the property came under the control of the [[ROCOR]].
A long-standing tradition is that the ''Oak of Abraham'' will die before the appearance of the Anti-Christ. The oak has been dead since 1996<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6392441_ITM Hebron's holy tree is dead but its successors live. Publication Date: 27 December 1996]</ref><ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3PkGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5zYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7056,3033524&dq=mamre+tree Rome News-Tribune. Publication Date: 29 December 1996]</ref>.
