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Bible Photo & Explanation The ancient site of Shechem. In the foreground is Mount Gerizim, and beyond it, Mount Ebal. Shechem is situated between these two mountains.
Significant Events: Abraham camped at Shechem (Gen. 12:6–7). Jacob camped here and bought a parcel of ground (Gen. 33:18–20). Mount Gerizim was the mount of blessing, while Mount Ebal was the mount of cursing (Deut. 27–28). At Mount Ebal, Joshua erected a monument bearing the law of Moses and then read the law to the Israelites (Josh. 8:30–35). The bones of Joseph are buried in Shechem (Josh. 24:32). (See BD Gerizim and Ebal.)
BD Shechem Shoulder. The most ancient of the sacred towns of the children of Israel, situated in a beautiful plain among the mountains of Ephraim, close to the two hills Ebal and Gerizim. It was visited by Abram on his first arrival in the promised land (Gen. 12:6); Jacob bought land here (33:18–19; see also Gen. 35:4; 37:14; Acts 7:16). It was later included in the territory of Ephraim (Josh. 17:7) and became a Levitical city and a city of refuge (20:7; 21:21; 1 Chr. 6:67). Here Joshua addressed the people (Josh. 24:1), and the bones of Joseph were buried (24:32). Here Rehoboam came to be crowned in the hope of conciliating the northern tribes (1 Kgs. 12:1; 2 Chr. 10:1; see also Judg. 8:31; 9:6, 46; 21:19; 1 Kgs. 12:25; 1 Chr. 7:28; Ps. 60:6; Jer. 41:5). The modern town of Nablus lies near the ancient site of Shechem.
BD jacob's Well The scene of our Lord’s conversation with the woman of Samaria (John 4:1–42); a well of the same name still exists, 75 feet deep, near Nablus, the ancient Shechem, close to the main road from Judea to Galilee. Shechem was Jacob’s home for some years after his return from Laban (Gen. 33:18; 37:12).
BD Sychar Site of Jacob’s well (John 4:5). See Shechem.
BD Cities of Refuge Six cities, three on each side of Jordan (that is, Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron, on the western side, and Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan on the eastern side), in which a man who had accidentally committed homicide could take refuge from the avenger of blood. The regulations about the use of these cities are found in Num. 35:6–34; Deut. 19:1–13; Josh. 20.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Judges 9 18 And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
7 ¶ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
34 ¶ And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
46 ¶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
BD Abimelech Father-king. (1) King of Gerar; takes Sarah (Gen. 20:2); warned in a dream, reproves Abraham for denying her, and is healed (20:3–18; 21:22–32).
(2) Reproves Isaac for denying his wife (26:7–11); makes covenant with Isaac (26:16, 26–33). (1) and (2) are possibly the same person, an early tradition having been preserved in two different forms.
(3) Son of Gideon (Judg. 8:31); murders his brethren and is made king (9:1–6); overcomes conspiracy and sows Shechem with salt (9:22–49); slain by a millstone (9:50–55; 2 Sam. 11:21).
(4) 1 Chr. 18:16, see Abiathar.
(5) In title of Ps. 34 same as Achish (1 Sam. 21:11).
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
32 ¶ And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
2 Chron 10:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
BD Gerizim and Ebal Two mountains in the center of Palestine, Ebal being due north of Gerizim. Between them is a valley in which stood the ancient town of Shechem, close to the site of the modern town of Nablus. Gerizim is about 800 feet above the plain (2850 feet above sea-level), while Ebal is 100 feet higher; both have precipitous faces, the two summits being about one-third mile apart. In Deut. 11:29; 27:12, instructions are given that a blessing should be “set” on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal; for the fulfillment, see Josh. 8:33. It was from Gerizim that Jotham’s parable was delivered (Judg. 9:7). After the return from the Babylonian captivity, Gerizim again became a place of importance as the center of the Samaritan worship. A certain Manasseh, son or grandson of Joiada, a priest in Jerusalem (Neh. 13:28), had married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite. Refusing to put her away, he was expelled from the priesthood and took refuge with the Samaritans, among whom, as a member of the high priestly family, he set up upon Mount Gerizim a rival temple and priesthood (John 4:20).