In central Israel is the town of Shechem, which was the first place Abraham lived when he came to the Land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:6) Later, Jacob and his family lived there. Jacob deeded a plot of land in Shechem to his son Joseph, and Joseph’s tomb is there to this very day. Shechem was renamed Flavia Neapolis by the Romans. This has been reduced to Nablus by the modern-day Arabs.

There are two mountains adjacent to Shechem, or Nablus; Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. In Deuteronomy 27:11-13, these two mountains were designated for blessings and curses. Blessings were to be pronounced from Mount Gerizim, and curses from Mount Ebal. It is interesting that the tribes chosen to pronounce the blessings were all the of the sons of the wives of Jacob. The tribes chosen to pronounce the curses were of sons of the maids of the wives, plus Reuben, who sinned against his father, Jacob, and Zebulun who was possibly disobedient. The discrimination against the sons of the maids of Jacob’s wives may indicate the Lord’s displeasure with the practice of having children by someone not your wife.

When the Children of Israel returned from Egypt, they were instructed by the Lord to cover stones with plaster and write the Law upon the stones at Mount Ebal. (Deuteronomy 27:2-4) Also they were instructed to build an altar of stones that had not been dressed with tools at the very same place. (Deuteronomy 27:5-6). So, the first place that Abraham had lived in the Holy Land became the first place his descendants were instructed to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

With this background, you can understand the interest in an archaeological site discovered on Mount Ebal.

Adam Zertal, an archaeology student, discovered a rectangular structure close to the summit of Mount Ebal. The structure was 27 feet by 21 feet and built of stones that were not worked with tools. It appears to have been a huge altar matching that of Deuteronomy 27:5-6. Pottery shards, always important to archaeologists for dating, were found in huge quantities. Almost all of the pottery shards dated to approximately the 13th Century B.C. This, of course, is the approximate time of the Children of Israel arriving in the Promised Land after escaping the Egyptian bondage.

In addition, more than 3,000 animal bones were found. The bones had been burnt, as on an altar. They were all from animals described as “clean” in the Bible, and most were of year-old male cattle, sheep and goats. Again, this agrees with Biblical instructions for sacrifice.

It would seem that this discovery is yet another confirmation of the veracity of Bible. This is nice, but for Believers it is not necessary. If Noah’s Ark was found, it might convince unbelievers of the truth of the Word, but we who believe already know the Bible is true and correct.

Praise the Lord for His inerrant Holy Word! Praise God for the Lord Jesus!