1. The best way to get from Hebron to Shechem costs only $14 and takes just 3 hours. Genesis 11:17-28 reads, "Terah Begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot. It still exists under the same name, and is one of the most ancient cities in the world. He escaped from the angry pursuit of Laban, from a meeting with Esau, and from the vengeance of the Canaanites provoked by the murder of Shechem; and in each of these three emergencies he was aided and strengthened by the interposition of God, and in sign of the grace won by a night of wrestling with God his name was changed at Jabbok into Israel. It retained this name till it came into the possession of Caleb, when the Israelites restored the original name Hebron" (Keil, Com.). There are two accounts of the origin of the name. 67, 113, 98 and 4). Called so from the oath of peace between Abraham and Abimelech, king of the Philistines (Genesis 21:31), else from the seven (sheba' ) ewe lambs slain there: indeed sheba', an oath, is from the custom of binding one's self by seven things, as Abraham made the seven ewe lambs a pledge of his covenant with Abimelech. Hebron now contains about 5000 inhabitants, of whom some fifty families are Jews. From Ur, across the Fertile Crescent and down into Canaan, the Bible mentions Shechem as the first city to which Abram came ( Gen. 12:6 ). Abram migrates to Shechem & builds an altar after God repeats promises. In Genesis 9:18-27 we read of Noah's curse. Abraham saw Moriah at some little distance (Genesis 22:4) on the third day; the distance, two days' journey from Beersheba, would just bring him to Zion, but not so far as Moreh and Gerizim (Genesis 12:6) where some fix Moriah. Joshua called the nation to Shechem because significant things occurred there before. That was Joshuas challenge to Israel at Shechem, and it is a good one for us to heed as well. But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. It required cisterns for water supply, which was a major drawback in times of siege. In the Hebrew Bible he is the son of Isaac and Rebecca, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and of Bethuel, and the twin brother of Esau. Hebron was called for a time also Mamre, from Abram's ally (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 35:27). It has been supposed that the highest point of the temple hill, which is now covered by the Mohammedan Kubbetes-Sakhrah, or "Dome of the Rock," is the actual site of Araunah's threshing- floor. Beersheba. After the overthrow of Israel, the king of Assyria sent one of the Israelite priests to settle at Bethel, and teach the new settlers from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, "the manner of the god of the land," and "how they should fear Jehovah" (2 Kings 17:27- 28). 6:67). Shechems geography paves the way for a discussion of its historical, and ultimately, its spiritual significance even still today. It must have been a place of strength from antiquity. His mother's name also [was] Zibiah of Beersheba.Amos 8:14 - They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.1 Chronicles 21:2 - And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know [it].Genesis 21:14 - And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.2 Kings 12:1 - In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. shoulder. Shechem was captured by John Hyrcanus in 132 B.C. Camels can travel at up to 50 miles per hour. Hammonds Atlas of the Bible Lands. The miles based distance from Haran to Canaan is 7568.9 miles. It was afterwards known as Mamre. Abrams grandson, Jacob, came to Shechem after he returned from Padan-Aram, undoubtedly tracing the traditional same steps of his grandfather. Then Joshua built an altar Namely, after the taking of Ai. Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, and so Joshua buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor . Here also, one thousand years after Abraham, David built an altar and offered sacrifices to God.Mount Moriah in Fausset's Bible Dictionary Genesis 22:2; 2 Chronicles 3:1. After the death of Saul, David was here anointed king (2 Sam 5:3) and reigned here 7 1/2 years, until he captured Jerusalem and made that his capital (2 Sam 5:5); while here, six sons were born to him (2 Sam 3:2). Shechem. 2:2-8), who spoke for God, were carefully obeyed by Joshua (30,31). Then he says: or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. You can choose to follow the culture you live in and be loyal to their priorities. 10:36, 37; 12:10; 14:13). she'-kem (shekhem, "shoulder"; Suchem, he Sikima, ta Sikima, etc. Modern Shechem:The modern town contains about 20,000 inhabitants, the great body of them being Moslems. Of course, from a historian's point of view, it is more likely that Abraham did not really exist. 13. Its earlier name was Kirjath-arba (Gen. 23:2; Josh. The next morning Esau came, and his desire was to be kind to his brother (Gen. 33:1-16). The Days of the Monarchy: David, when a fugitive, received kindness from the people of this city (1 Sam 30:31); here Abner was treacherously slain by Joab at the gate (2 Sam 3:27), and the sons of Rimmon, after their hands and feet had been cut off, were hanged "beside the pool" (2 Sam 4:12). So he packed all their belongings and journeyed again, reaching Shechem in Canaan first, then the hills of Bethel, and finally south to the Negev. As a result of a severe drought in Canaan, Jacob moved to Egypt at the time when his son Joseph was viceroy. 1. It is often easy for us as believers to get proud at what marvelous people we have become. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. This curse proved true, for the citizens of Shechem formed a conspiracy against Abimelech, and he completely destroyed the city. 23). Archaeology and Old Testament Study. 3. Gene 23:19 About a mile from the town, up the valley, is one of the largest oak trees in Israel. Jud 20:18,26,31; 21:2 Authorized Version, "house of God." Ge 35:1-8 The original name was Luz. 20:1; 1 Chr. Besides the frequent mention of his name in conjunction with the names of the other two patriarchs, there are distinct references to the events in the life of Jacob in four books of the New Testament - Joh 1:51; 4:5,12; Ac 7:12,16; Ro 9:11-13; Heb 11:21; 12:16Jacob in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE I. Theophanies occurred there to Hagar (21:17), to Isaac (26:24), to Jacob (46:2), and to Elijah (1 Ki 19:5). 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe . As mentioned before, it was here that Abram, the father of the Jewish nation, first came when he came to the land. The tope was levelled by Solomon, and immense walls were built around it from the base to enlarge the level surface for the temple area. Be it a strategic military position, an abundant water supply, or a convenient traveling location, geography determines, by in large, where historical events occur. The third road from Shechem led northeast along the Wadi Beidan to Tirzah, where it descended east to the Jordan Valley via the Wadi Faria. God used this sad turn of events to eventually take the entire family of Israel to Egypt, protecting and multiplying them. Toward the end of Jeroboam's life Bethel fell into the hands of Judah. Large Map of Israel in the First Century - Click around on the Cities. After the return from the Captivity the phrase is narrowed into "from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom" (Neh. Laban was angry when he heard that Jacob had set out on his journey, and pursued after him, overtaking him in seven days. When All Seems Lost/Broken Relationships. 24:27). From there the road descended to the Sharon Plain, reaching the International Highway (the Via Maris) at Socoh. Under Jehu, who restored the calf worship, and Jeroboam II his great grandson, Bethel comes again into prominence (2 Kings 10:29). Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Here Solomon's temple was built, on the spot that had been the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite (2 Sam. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987. Like some 50 other Hebrew names of this same form, it has no subject for the verb expressed. This rival center would enable the northern tribes to worship without crossing the border into Judah. He cursed them with forty years of wilderness wandering until the unbelieving generation died off, never stepping foot in the Promised Land. The ruins, covering three or four acres, still bear a like name, Beitin, on a low bill, between two wadies, which unite in the main valley of es-Suweinit, toward the S.E. After much recrimination and reproach directed against Jacob, Laban is at length pacified, and taking an affectionate farewell of his daughters, returns to his home in Padanaram. These have come so that your faith. 5:5); and here he was anointed as king over all Israel (2 Sam. His bothers were envious of the preferential treatment Joseph received from Isaac. Abimelech, whose mother was a native of the city, persuaded the men of Shechem to make him king (Judges 9:1-6), evidently seeking a certain consecration from association with "the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem." When the land of Canaan was conquered and divided among the Israelites, Shechem was allotted to Ephraim, and finally . Weekly Prayer. The houses are stone, solidly built, flat-roofed, and have each one or two little cupolas, such as are seen in several parts of Israel. The crossroads Shechem offered led in three directions. In this city Absalom found a center for his disaffection, and repairing there under pretense of performing a vow to Yahweh, he raised the standard of revolt (2 Sam 15:7 f). Shiloh was the religious and military capital of Israel during the times of the Judges, and the tabernacle resided here for 369 years. To the rich pasture land near Shechem Joseph came to seek his brethren (Genesis 37:12). During the time of the divided kingdom of Israel, Shechem was the capital of the northern kingdom for a while (1 Kings 12:1). From Dan to Beersheba, a distance of about 144 miles (Judg. This geographical information is inaccurate. Shechem was viewed as a neutral Canaanite city which worshipped Ba'al-berith and not Yahweh. The Sanctuary: The town was originally called Luz (Gen 28:19, etc.). There are four springs which yield supplies of good water. Bethel. Jacobs two sons, Levi and Simeon, made a deceptive pact with the males of the city and slaughtered them all in revenge of Dinah. 3. 5. Jud 20:26- 28; 21:4 Later it is named as one of the holy cities to which Samuel went on circuit. Remember how Jacob put away his idols in this spot? Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth (1 Cor. He then set up another stone in Shechem, saying: Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, lest you deny your God (Josh. Joshua called them together again to this historically significant site, because what he had to tell them preached louder in Shechem that it could anywhere else: And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, from ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods (v 2). A 'ziggurat' (a stepped temple platform) about 70 feet / 21 metres high, surmounted by a temple and shrine to the Akkadian moon god Sin, was built by King Ur . For another Bible chapter related to Shechem, see Joshua 24.. Shechem. Times of Joshua and Judges: The spies visited Hebron and near there cut the cluster of grapes (Nu 13:22 f). Mahanaim. The two unworthy sons of Samuel were Judges in Beersheba (1 Sam 8:2) and Zibiah, mother of King Jehoash, was born there (2 Ki 12:1; 2 Ch 24:1).