I. Name
According to Hommel (1929), the field of Machpelah (Gen. 23.9, Gen. 17, Gen. 19; Gen. 25.9; Gen. 49.30; Gen. 50.13) was named after the goddess Ma-Cybele.
II. Identity
Cybele (Κυβέλη) or Cybebe (Κυβήβη) is a goddess of the fertile earth originating from Asia Minor, where she was known in the second millennium bce as Kubaba (Laroche 1960). Having made her way into the Greek world, the deity was identified with a number of other ‘mother goddesses’ such as Rhea, Agdistis, Ma, and Bellona. Her cult ha…