Page 100 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

Mount Gerizim Mount Ebal

Gerizim is the mountain on the southern side of Shechem, Ebal is the prominent hill on the northern side of Shechem.
which lies between Gerizim and Ebal. Ebal is 3,076 feet above the sea and 1,200 feet above the

valley below it. Moses had given instructions for six tribes to
An aging Joshua made his farewell speech in this location. one day stand on Ebal and renew the covenant

(Deuteronomy 27:12-13). When Joshua took the people into
In time, the Samaritans regarded Mount Gerizim as the the land, he and the people did exactly that. On that day,

place to worship rather than the temple in Jerusalem. They Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Ebal (Joshua 8:30-35).

constructed a temple on Gerizim in the Fifth Century BC.

Though that temple was eventually destroyed, Gerizim The discovery of this altar on the northern side of Mt. Ebal

continued to be a sacred mountain for the Samaritans. The has caused quite a stir among the archaeological community.

woman Jesus met at a well here even mentions this detail! Though it may date to the time of Joshua, it does not appear

Under Roman rule, Gerizim had even more prominence. to be in the correct location for the Joshua 8:30-35 event.
Coins produced by Rome in 138-161 AD had an image of the

temple on Mt. Gerizim stamped on one side showing a

grand staircase leading from Nablus (Shechem) to the

temple itself on top of the hill.

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