Genesis 37:17. A city in Samaria ( Genesis 33:18), called also Sichem ( 12:6), Sychem ( Acts 7:16).It stood in the narrow sheltered valley between Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south, these mountains at their base being only some 500 yards apart. Genesis 37:12 His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. Shechem. He stopped at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to seek guidance from Him (Gen. 46:1-5). Augustine once said: Idolatry is worshipping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that is meant to be worshiped., Jonathan Edwards resolved: that all men should live for the glory of God. Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? Judges 9:57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. The second, at a hundred yards distance, 5 in diameter, 42 in depth. According to the first, the well was dug by Abraham, and the name given to Judah, Jos 15:28 and then to Simeon, Jos 19:2; 1Ch 4:28 In the often-quoted "from Dan even unto Beersheba," Jud 20:1 it represents the southern boundary of Canaan, as Dan the northern. When All Seems Lost/Broken Relationships. He starts to review their history by reminding them that Abram, the father of the Jewish nation, was an idolater prior to becoming the father of the Jewish nation. Jacob, in his 78th year, was sent from the family home to avoid his brother, and to seek a wife among his kindred in Padan-aram. The best way to get from Hebron to Shechem costs only $14 and takes just 3 hours. Bethlehem. Answer (1 of 20): Haran is in northern Syria. During the time of the judges, Abimelech, a son of Gideon, conspired with his maternal family to kill all other sons of Gideon and have himself proclaimed king of Shechem (Judges 9:6). 3. 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). The other well is 5 feet in diameter, and was 42 feet to the water. 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. cult) of Beersheba liveth." Again, from the like oath between Abimelech (with Phichol, his captain) and Isaac, it being not uncommon for an event to be recorded as occurring apparently for the first time, which has been recorded as occurring earlier before: so Bethel (Genesis 26:31-33). But this time, the command to move to Canaan came with a blessing explicitly stated in Genesis 12:2-3. Ge 12:8; 13:3,4 Bethel was the scene of Jacob's vision. 2. And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day." ; the King James Version gives "Sichem" in Genesis 12:6; and "Sychem" in Acts 7:16):1. A town in the south part of Judah, named in Jos 12:16 and 1Sam 30:27 In Jos 15:30; 19:4; 1Ch 4:29,30 the place appears under the name of CHESIL, BETHUL and BETHUEL. Come, and I will send you to them." More details . Modern Shechem:The modern town contains about 20,000 inhabitants, the great body of them being Moslems. Joseph was buried here (Joshua . Where the easiest ground to travel lies, there also a wayfarer walksand so a highway begins. Shiloh was the religious and military capital of Israel during the times of the Judges, and the tabernacle resided here for 369 years. Old Testament Overview - General survey of the Old Testament. It was ordered by God that the votaries of the calf worship at Bethel never dared to violate the sepulchre and title of the prophet who denounced their idol. The distance between the above mentioned places is 500 miles approximately. While Jacob was in Haran he married Leah and Rachel and the Lord was with him and blessed him with great riches (Gen. 29:1-30: 43). Jotham's parable was spoken from the cliff of Gerizim overhanging the town (Judges 9:7). Shechem was viewed as a neutral Canaanite city which worshipped Ba'al-berith and not Yahweh. Historical:This place is first mentioned in connection with Abraham's journey from Haran. It is found about forty times in the Old. But "life-long sorrow, disgrace, and trials, in the retributive providence of God, followed as a consequence of this double union." Related Websites. Thus Shechem often found itself in major events in the Biblical narrative. (c) In the Jewish tractate Pirqe Abhoth, iii.l, we read of a Jew named 'Aqabhyah, which is a name composed of the same verbal root as that in Jacob, together with the Divine name Yahu (i.e. Over the cave is now the mosque El Haran, from which all but Muslims are excluded jealously (though the Prince of Wales was admitted), and in which probably lie the remains of Abraham and Isaac, and possibly Jacob's embalmed body, brought up in state from Egypt (Genesis 50:13). How old was Abram when he traveled from Haran to Canaan? Bethel, the place, is expressly distinguished from Luz, the old Canaanite city. It was taken by Joshua and given to Caleb (Josh. A city in the south of territory of the tribe of Judah 1Sa 30:27 -3. [2][3] Before the birth of Benjamin, Jacob is renamed "Israel" by an angel, the name after which the modern nation of Israel is named. And I think the principle should also apply even to those who grew up under parents who did a good jobparents who taught about Jesus and how He died for our sins. In the time of the kings we find that the city was once more a gathering-place of the nation. Genesis 33:18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. 2:2-8), who spoke for God, were carefully obeyed by Joshua (30,31). Abraham came first to Shechem when he entered Canaan (Genesis 12:6), and God confirmed the promise to give the land to him. Apparently there were Israelites in it after the captivity, some of whom on their way to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem met a tragic fate at the hands of Ishmael ben Nethaniah (Jeremiah 41:5). The war of conquest being done, Joseph's bones were buried in the parcel of ground which Jacob had bought, and which fell to the lot of Joseph's descendants (24:33). Joshua goes on to note, whatever good there is in us now, remember whose doing it is. To the East of the city, in a recess at the base of Gerizim, is the sanctuary known as Rijal el-`Amud, literally, "men of the column" or "pillar," where some would locate the ancient "oak of Moreh" or "of the pillar." Its earlier name was Kirjath-arba (Gen. 23:2; Josh. Josiah, as foretold, defiled the altar with dead men's bones, but disturbed not the sepulchre of the prophet of Judab when he discerned its title. 24:24, 25; 2 Chr. Genesis 11:17-28 reads, "Terah Begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot. Genesis 33:18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.. Genesis 35:4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears . It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz (Gen. 28:19). to his uncle Laban's home where he married and gave birth to many children. Ge 22:2 Its position is doubtful, some thinking it to be Mount MOriah, others that Moreh, near Shechem, is meant. In the New Testament Paul writes: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Later a troubling situation came about, the slaughter of the Shechemites by Jacob's sons, and this forced Jacob to move southward (Gen. 34:1-30). Ge 28:11-19; 31:13 Jacob lived there. Jacob actually purchased a some land at Shechem. Joshua 20:7 They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. This is my map of the Sinai Peninsula, showing the route Joseph probably took when he was sold by his brothers into slavery and taken from Dothan in Israel to Egypt. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. In addition to the Ridge Route leading south, the road also passed directly through Shechem, which lay on the northeastern side of Mount Gerizim and just south of Mount Ebal. After settling in Hebron, Jacob's sons (minus Joseph) traveled north to herd their flocks in Shechem. Later he journeyed southward and dwelt at Hebron which was the location of the events around his son Joseph. 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 . Deborah and Rachel died before he reached Hebron; Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, was sold into Egypt eleven years before the death of Isaac; and Jacob had probably exceeded his 130th year when he went tither. Remember how you yourselves shouted the blessings and the curses in this spot? 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. Nicosia: Rohr Productions, 1999. Answer (1 of 8): Not all Bible scholars agree because the modern city of Harran,Turkey may not be the same settlement of Haran that Abraham's family stayed in, (c.2000 BCE) when his father Terah died there, according to Genesis 11:31--32. He sent gifts ahead of his caravan to determine the situation with Esau, if he rejected the gifts then Jacob knew there would be trouble (Gen. 32:13-20). A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. As they left Shechem they were to remember the past and live in light of it. Shechem was the place where Joseph's remains were buried (Joshua 24:32). 19:2; 1 Chr. 13:22). On the round mount S.E. We still need to come to a place where Jesus is our God, not just the God of our parents. This study will discuss the significance of Shechem, a city in central Israel. Here Solomon's temple was built, on the spot that had been the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite (2 Sam. This is a straight line distance and so most of the time the actual travel distance between Ur and Canaan may be higher or vary due to curvature of the road . So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. The town has no walls; but the main streets opening on the principal roads have gates. It was in the territory of Ephraim; it was made a city of refuge, and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:21). 2. Abdon is read in many manuscriptsHebron in Hitchcock's Bible Names society; friendshipHebron in Naves Topical Bible 1. He was presented to Pharaoh, and dwelt for seventeen years in Rameses and Goshen, and died in his 147th year. History of the City. Location and Physical Features:There is no doubt as to the situation of ancient Shechem. It appears in the New Testament only in the speech of Stephen (Acts 7:16, King James Version "Sychem"). When Jacob fled from his brother Esau he laid down to sleep for the night at Bethel, where he met the Lord and received the vision of the heavenly ladder (Gen. 28:11-22). Its ruins still lie on the righthand side of the road from Jerusalem to Nablus. The ancient city may have lain somewhat farther East than the modern Nablus, in which the Roman name Neapolis survives. Shechem was captured by John Hyrcanus in 132 B.C. 24:1). Under Jehu, who restored the calf worship, and Jeroboam II his great grandson, Bethel comes again into prominence (2 Kings 10:29). Tanis) in Egypt (Nu 13:22); its ancient name was Kiriath-arba, probably meaning the "Four Cities," perhaps because divided at one time into four quarters, but according to Jewish writers so called because four patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Adam were buried there. The Bible speaks of the importance of having a personal relationship with Christ, not a surrogate relationship through our parents, peers, or pastor. Bible Reference & Map Description. 5:5); and here he was anointed as king over all Israel (2 Sam. And at Abimelechs coronation, Jotham climbed Mount Gerizim and shouted a curse on Shechem for Abimelechs sin. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975-1976. In the troubled times when there was no king in Israel, it was to Bethel that the people went up in their distress to ask counsel of God. Built seven years before Zoan in Egypt (Numbers 13:22). The distance is straight path from one place to another place. Caleb drove out from Hebron the "three sons of Anak" (Josh 14:12; 15:14); it became one of the cities of Judah (Josh 15:54), but was set apart for the Kohathite Levites (Josh 21:10 f), and became a city of refuge (Josh 20:7). Jacob and his mother deceived his father Isaac into blessing Jacob and he fled eastward. A mountain 1Sa 13:2Bethel in Smiths Bible Dictionary (the house of God) well known city and holy place of central Israel, about 12 mlles north of Jerusalem. 4. Laban was angry when he heard that Jacob had set out on his journey, and pursued after him, overtaking him in seven days. )-bu(-u), like Aq-bi-ili alongside of A-qa- bi-ili; all of which may be associated with the same root `aqabh, as appears in Jacob (see H. Ranke, Early Babylonian Personal Names, 1905, with annotations by Professor Hilprecht as editor, especially pp. God revealed to Jacob His plan of redemption through offering His only son as a substitute for the sins of the whole world. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Probably on rising ground East of Bethel Abraham and Lot stood to view the uninviting highlands and the rich lands of the Jordan valley (Gen 13:9 ff). Jacob arose and returned to Bethel where he . This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop, he said. Josephus mistakenly places here the dream of Solomon (Ant., VIII, ii, 1) which occurred at Gibeon (1 Ki 3:4). 13:2). Ex 32:30-33:23 Depart for Canaan. Shechem first steps on the pages of Scripture as Abram enters the land of Canaan. Here Absalom set up the standard of revolt. It made a good choice for a capital. Jud 20:18,26,31; 21:2 Authorized Version, "house of God." Genesis 23:19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the . 14. The valley runs from north to south; and the main quarter of the town, surmounted by the lofty walls of the venerable Haram, lies partly on the eastern slope. From this place the patriarch departed for Egypt by way of Beersheba (37:14; 46:1). Form and Distribution: ya`aqobh (5 times ya`aqowbh); Iakob, is in form a verb in the Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. DISTANCE: It was a long and difficult journey of more than fourhundred miles (about 600km) from Canaan (Bethel) to Haran. It required cisterns for water supply, which was a major drawback in times of siege. 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 ). . While Jacobs family lived in Shechem, Jacobs daughter, Dinah, was raped by a man named Shechem, the son of the ruler, Hamor. "Summer and winter houses" too, and "great houses" and "houses of ivory." Around the large are nine stone troughs; around the smaller, five. He and his family traveled through the Jabbok Valley, crossed the Jordan, camped at Succoth, and ascended through the Wadis Faria and Beidan to Shechem. Calm our fears and strengthen our faith that we may never doubt his presence among us but proclaim that he is your Son, risen from the dead, living for ever and ever. In Judges 20:26 translate for "the house of God" Bethel. In the same neighborhood He vouchsafed a vision to Abram (Genesis 14; Genesis 15:1) after Melchizedek had met him in the valley near Salem and Abram paid tithe of the spoils of Chedorlaomer. After various vicissitudes it fell into the Moslems' hands in A.D. 1187, and has continued so ever since. 20:18, 31; 21:2). That which was promised he would have received in some good way; but Jacob and his mother, distrusting God's promise, sought the promised blessing in a wrong way, and received with it trouble and sorrow. shoulder. At about the center point of the land of Canaan was the place called Shechem. Mount Moriah. The miles based distance from Egypt to Canaan is 5270.8 miles. Two million Jews would gather at Shiloh on the main festivals and would camp on the surrounding hills. 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. Here was the ark of the covenant. 1. A considerable trade is done in cotton and wool. 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). This spot became a center of great interest, lending growing importance to the town. You could translate it faithfulness or even reliability. `Emet is a word that describes God; He is a God of truth, so our relationship to God must be according to truth. Shechems geography paves the way for a discussion of its historical, and ultimately, its spiritual significance even still today. And Jacob came [in] peace [to the] city Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram, and encamped before the city. Smith, DB, under the word) would identify it with Sychar of John 4:5; but see SYCHAR. Jacob purchased a parcel of land here in Shechem and actually made for himself a dwelling place in the land of Canaan (Gen. 33:18-20). Jehovah testified His acceptance of David's sacrifice there by sending down fire to consume it (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Chronicles 7:1). 19:28).Hebron in Fausset's Bible Dictionary 1. The naming of Bethel Jacob repeated more publicly on his return home, 20 years later, with his family purified of idols, when God again appeared to him, and confirmed his change of name to Israel (Genesis 35:1-15; Genesis 32:28). Rasmussem, Carl G. Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible. One of the largest oaks in Israel is found in the valley of Eshcol, about 3 miles north of the town. Gerizim (Sirach 50:26; Ant, XI, viii, 6; XII, i, 1; XIII, iii, 4). Judges 9:28 Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? God called Abram from Haran to Canaan (Genesis 12:1). He said to him, "Here I am.". Geography affects history. 7:8). 3. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? The example of Jacob is quoted by the first and the last of the minor prophets. Ephraim, Ebal and Gerizim, guarding it on the North and South respectively. The worship of Jehovah and of the calves had been all along strangely blended. Later a troubling situation came about, the slaughter of the Shechemites by Jacob's sons, and this forced Jacob to move southward (Gen. 34:1-30) 9. The well of, belonged to Abraham and Isaac Ge 21:25,26 -3. of God, a favorite name for Abraham; compare Jas 2:23). 27:4). 9. Judges 9:23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: Judges 9:24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 381-385. Toward the end of Jeroboam's life Bethel fell into the hands of Judah. Judges 8:31 His concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. It is picturesquely situated in a narrow valley running from N. to S. (probably that of Eshcol, whence the spies got the great cluster of grapes, Numbers 13:23), surrounded by rocky hills, still famed for fine grapes. Jud 20:26- 28; 21:4 Later it is named as one of the holy cities to which Samuel went on circuit. Be it a strategic military position, an abundant water supply, or a convenient traveling location, geography determines, by in large, where historical events occur. "Seven wells" is improbable on etymological grounds; the numeral should in that case be first. This curse proved true, for the citizens of Shechem formed a conspiracy against Abimelech, and he completely destroyed the city. Again Jacob journeyed southward, and at Bethlehem Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, but she died in giving childbirth and was buried there (Gen. 35:16-20). Then Jacob came to Peniel where he wrestled with God (Genesis 31:22-32:31). The water is excellent, and grass with crocuses and lilies abounds. When Judah returned from exile to the southern portion of the nation, the Samaritans requested to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. 7:32). It has been identified with the ruins of Beitin, a small village amid extensive ruins some 9 miles south of Shiloh. Map Store - Download High-Res Maps and Images, 2023, Bible History | All rights reserved, Beersheba in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE, Mount Moriah in Easton's Bible Dictionary, Mount Moriah in Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Mount Moriah Scripture - 2 Chronicles 3:1. Jacob purchased a parcel of land here in Shechem and actually made for himself a dwelling place in the land of Canaan (Gen. 33:18-20). In Jewish tradition, the old name was understood in . Shechem is also where Abraham lived, Jacob lived, Joshua rallied the nation of Israel together and gave the curses and blessings on Mt. 4. Shechem (Nablus) (Jewish Virtual Library) A lengthy article describing the archaeology and history of the ancient city. It was included in Israel after the kingdom was divided, and it became one of the seats of the worship of the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33; 13:1). 21:2; 2 Sam. It is still called by the Arabs Bir es- Seba, i.e., "well of the seven", where there are to the present day two principal wells and five smaller ones. The average milk yield was 2.5 L per day; the price of camel's milk was higher than that of cow's milk at US$0.5. 20:7; 21:21; 1 Chr. 8. It is mentioned as lying to the West of Michmethath (el-Makhneh) on the boundary of Manasseh (Joshua 17:7). Joshua also says to serve the Lord in truth; the Hebrew word for truth is `Emet, which refers to a truth that has proven itself reliable. On re-opening it, Isaac gave it the same name (Gen. 26:31-33). When Isaac was about 160 years of age, Jacob and his mother conspired to deceive the aged patriarch (Gen. 27), with the view of procuring the transfer of the birthright to himself. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997. 8:17; 12:16).Bethel in Fausset's Bible Dictionary ("house of God".) In the first great revolt 1 Chronicles 12:38 - All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel [were] of one heart to make David king.2 Samuel 4:8 - And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.2 Samuel 3:19 - And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.1 Chronicles 29:27 - And the time that he reigned over Israel [was] forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three [years] reigned he in Jerusalem.2 Samuel 5:5 - In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.1 Kings 2:11 - And the days that David reigned over Israel [were] forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.Joshua 10:39 - And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that [were] therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.2 Samuel 3:20 - So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him.
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