This ancient designation for Hebron appears primarily in Priestly and early conquest narratives. The name's meaning remains uncertain—either 'city of four,' perhaps referencing four quarters or clans, or preserving the name of an earlier Anakim ancestor called Arba. Sarah died here, and Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah for her burial. The Israelites renamed it Hebron, though biblical writers occasionally preserve the older name to emphasize the city's antiquity. The multiple naming creates a literary device connecting patriarchal promises with conquest fulfillment.