 On Yom Kippur eve, October 3, 1976, an Arab mob destroyed several Torah scrolls and prayer books at the tomb.In May 1980, an attack on Jewish worshippers returning from prayers at the tomb left 6 dead and 17 wounded.In 1981, a group of Jewish settlers from the Hebron community lead by Noam Arnon broke into the caves and took photos of the burial chambers.