Mount Ebal

Mount Ebal, also referred to as Mount Zalmon or Mount Ephraim, was a mountain located in the land of Canaan, north of Shechem. It stood opposite Mount Gerizim, forming the valley where the city of Shechem was situated. Mount Ebal held significant religious and historical importance for the Israelites. Prior to entering the Promised Land, Moses instructed the Israelites to conduct a ceremony on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, pronouncing curses from Mount Ebal and blessings from Mount Gerizim (Deu.11.29; 27:4, 13). After the conquest of Canaan, Joshua led the Israelites in fulfilling this command, building an altar on Mount Ebal and conducting the ceremony as prescribed (Joshua 8:30, 33). In the time of Abimelech, Mount Zalmon (another name for Mount Ebal) was the site where he and his men cut down branches to set fire to the tower of Shechem (Judges 9:48). The mountain is also mentioned in poetic and prophetic texts, such as Psalm 68:14 and Jeremiah 4:15, which refer to Mount Zalmon and Mount Ephraim respectively, likely alluding to the same location as Mount Ebal.