Near it was the oak or terebinth, a place of pagan worship. Joshua demonstrates not only the grace of God in calling them out of a pagan past, but also the faithfulness of God in taking care of them after their redemption. This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop, he said. 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. First Joshua says: the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River. You can choose to follow the perhaps bad example of your parents and make the same mistakes they have made by being loyal to the things they were loyal to. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty- nine years old. In old times the slopes of Ebal were covered with vineyards; but these formed a source of temptation to the "faithful." Later History: Probably during the captivity Hebron came into the hands of Edom, though it appears to have been colonized by returning Jews (Neh 11:25); it was recovered from Edom by Simon Maccabeus (1 Macc 5:65; Josephus, Ant, XII, viii, 6). It is supposed by some to be the tree under which Abraham pitched his tent, and is called "Abraham's oak." 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. Later he journeyed southward and dwelt at Hebron which was the location of the events around his son Joseph. A city north of Jerusalem The ancient city adjacent to, and finally embraced in, was called Luz Jos 18:13; Jud 1:23-26 Abraham estblishes an altar at Ge 12:8; 13:3,4 The place where Jacob saw the vision of the ladder Ge 28:10-22; 31:13; Ho 12:4 And builds an altar at Ge 35:1-15 Deborah dies at Ge 35:8 Conquered by Joshua Jos 8:17; with 12:16 Conquered by the household of Joseph Jud 1:22-26 Allotted to Benjamin Jos 18:13,22 Court of justice held at By Deborah Jud 4:5 By Samuel 1Sa 7:16 Tabernacle at, and called HOUSE OF GOD Jud 20:18,31; 21:2 Jeroboam institutes idolatrous worship at 1Ki 12:25-33; 2Ki 10:29 Idolatry at Jer 48:13; Am 4:4 Shalmanezer sends a priest to 2Ki 17:27,28 Prophecies against the idolatrous altars at 1Ki 13:1-6,32; 2Ki 23:4,15-20; Am 3:14 The school of prophets at 2Ki 2:3 The young men of, mock Elisha 2Ki 2:23,24 People of, return from Babylon Ezr 2:28; Ne 7:32 Prophecies against Am 5:5 -2. 2. Jos 15:13,14; 21:13 Sarah died at Hebron; and Abraham then bought from Ephron the Hittite the field and cave of Machpelah, to serve as a family tomb Ge 23:2-20 The cave is still there, and the massive walls of the Haram or mosque, within which it lies, form the most remarkable object in the whole city. The road was thus forced to pass through the city located in the valley between these two mountains. His messengers told him the news of Esau's coming (Gen. 32:6-8) and Jacob became troubled and prayed for help and deliverance (Gen. 32:9-12). Genesis 35:9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. And the LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Genesis 37:12 His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. and they became the inheritance of Josephs sons (Josh. The birthright secured to him who possessed it (1) superior rank in his family (Gen. 49:3); (2) a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deut. 7:16). All this combined made Samaria an ideal place for a capital. From Ur, Abraham traveled 700 miles to the borders of present-day Iraq, another 700 miles into Syria, another 800 down to Egypt by the inland road, and then back into Canaan - what is now Israel. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth (1 Cor. Shechems geography paves the way for a discussion of its historical, and ultimately, its spiritual significance even still today. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. Joshua 24:32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. And I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant (vv. There he met with Rachel (29). Do you want Gods blessing in the land? But "Hebron would appear to have been the original name of the city, and it was not till after Abraham's stay there that it received the name Kirjath-arba, who [i.e., Arba] was not the founder but the conqueror of the city, having led thither the tribe of the Anakim, to which he belonged. The vicinity was long the favorite camping-ground of the patriarchs. A city of the territory of the tribe of Asher Jos 19:28 -2. (2.) When Jacob came hither on his way to Paddan-aram we are told that he lighted upon "the place" (Gen 28:11. S hechem is the name of 2 biblical men and a city where important Biblical events took place.. People. The worship of Jehovah and of the calves had been all along strangely blended. 101. 1977. 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. It was made a Levite city of refuge (Joshua 21:11-13). Notice all the capital Is the Lord mentions: Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 1 Chronicles 2:42-43. In later times it was the seat of a bishopric; the names of five occupants of the see are known.2. Other seven years of service had to be completed probably before he obtained the beloved Rachel. Ebal. There are some 700 or 800 Christians, chiefly belonging to the Greek Orthodox church. It became the residence also of the rebellious Absalom (2 Sam. Read the same article here on BiblicalStudies.org.. Shechem: Its Archaeological and Contextual Significance (Bible Archaeology) A nice discussion of the archaeology around Shechem, from . This geographical information is inaccurate. A descendant of Manasseh ( Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2). 3. 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 ). The best way to get from Hebron to Shechem costs only $14 and takes just 3 hours. After the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king (1 Kings 12:1). 102 - 141 days from . We still need to choose for ourselves. There the prophet from Judah foretold the overthrow of the calf altar by Josiah. In the neighboring minaret is a stone whereon the Ten Commandments are engraved in Samaritan characters. 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. Joseph's haughtiness only worsened his precarious situation and shows us the danger of pride. Roman Empire Map - While Jacobs family lived in Shechem, Jacobs daughter, Dinah, was raped by a man named Shechem, the son of the ruler, Hamor. Bethel. In Hebron, David reigned over Judah first for seven and a half years (2 Samuel 5:5). 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. Hence the prophet Hosea (Hos. They built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which was immediately by Shechem. Hebron was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Ch 11:10). From Dan to Beersheba (2 Sam 17:11, etc.) Joshua 8:30. Though Noah was an obedient man to God, it seems Ham wasn't always a nice guy, and his typical teenager shenanigans sealed the fate of millions of people for centuries. 2Ki 2:2,3 But after the destruction of Baal worship by Jehu Bethel comes once more into view. Rivaling Damascus in antiquity. Then Joshua built an altar Namely, after the taking of Ai. Ge 22:2 Its position is doubtful, some thinking it to be Mount MOriah, others that Moreh, near Shechem, is meant. At the western end is another, 85 ft. long by 55 broad. 18 And Jacob came safely 4 to the city of c Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. At the oak of Moreh in the vicinity he reared his first altar to the Lord in Palestine (Genesis 12:6 f). The town was situated in a narrow valley - the "Valley of the Eschol; " whose sides are clothed with vineyards, groves of olives, and other fruit trees. 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. Historical:This place is first mentioned in connection with Abraham's journey from Haran. 4. Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho under the curse (1 Kings 16:34).Bethel in Hitchcock's Bible Names the house of GodBethel in Naves Topical Bible 1. Jacob arrives at Shechem in c.1691BC (see Genesis 12:6-7) where he buys some land for a tomb from the sons of Hamor and sets up an altar called El Elohe Yisrael (Hebrew, meaning 'God, the God of Israel' or 'God, the God of Jacob'). Genesis 37:14 He said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again." 8:17; 12:16).Bethel in Fausset's Bible Dictionary ("house of God".) 1. 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. Judges 9:6 All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. Seven (sheba' which also may explain the name) wells are at the place, so that a different one may have been named by Isaac from that named by Abraham. Jeroboam chose Shechem as the capital for the Northern Kingdom, perhaps because of the significant history there for Ephraim. His brothers, filled with hatred, sold Joseph to some Ishmaelite traders who, coming through the Dothan pass, were headed for Egypt along the Via Maris. It required cisterns for water supply, which was a major drawback in times of siege. All of Egypt mourned with Joseph over the passing of Jacob, who, in the time of his stay in Goshen, had gained the esteem and love of all the people. 11. Joshua 24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. On the round mount S.E. the longest distance you ever "walk" in your life is from your . He then set out with his family and property "to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan" (Gen. 31). 1Ki 16:34 3. He had twelve sons and several daughters, by his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah. This is important because the Bible says Jacob bought land from Shechem and lived at that place for a long time (Genesis 33 . It was about 12 miles N. of Jerusalem. Here the name is ascribed to the Hebrew root shabha`, "to swear," but this same root is connected with the idea of seven, seven victims being offered and to take an oath, meaning "to come under the influence of seven." It should be noted that the personal names `Aqqubh and Ya`aqobhah (accent on the penult) also occur in the Old Testament, the former borne by no less than 4 different persons; also that in the Palmyrene inscriptions we find a person named `ath`aqobh, a name in which this same verb `aqabh is preceded by the name of the god `Ate, just as in `Aqabhyah it is followed by the name YahuJacob in Wikipedia (pronounced /dekb/; Hebrew: , Standard Yaakov; Septuagint Greek: ; "heel" or "leg-puller", Arabic: Yaqb), also known as Israel (Hebrew: , Standard Yisrael, Isrl; Septuagint Greek: ; "persevere with God"[1]), as described in the Bible, was the third patriarch of the Jewish people, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, named after his descendants. 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. These are the sons of Jacob, who were . 6:18; 1 Chr. Along this line runs the great road which from time immemorial has formed the easiest and the quickest means of communication between the East of the Jordan and the sea. It was one of Samuel's towns of circuit for judging (1 Samuel 7:16). 5. The other well is 5 feet in diameter, and was 42 feet to the water. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. )-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. It was here at hebron where Jacob met saw his father Isaac in his old age (Gen. 35:27) and he dwelt here in Hebron. --The elevation on which Solomon built the temple, where God appeared to David "in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 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). 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. But when the seven years were expired, Laban craftily deceived Jacob, and gave him his daughter Leah. The stones around the mouth are worn into grooves by the action of ropes for so many ages. Here also Jacob dug a well for his many herds. From there the road descended to the Sharon Plain, reaching the International Highway (the Via Maris) at Socoh. 9. God's answer to his sacrifice at this altar of the threshing floor, and God's removal of the plague, determined David's choice of it as the site of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:2; 1 Chronicles 21:28; 1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1, etc.). Judges 9:1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, Judges 9:2 "Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem,'Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?' In today's reading, the words of Moses (Deut. 2. Samuel visited Bethel on circuit, judging Israel (1 Sam 7:16). Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Places. But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. It lay somewhat off the beaten pathabout 5 or 6 miles off the International Highwayanother asset in times of siege. Esau came up from Seir and met Jacob in peace; Jacob then continued on as far as Shechem (Genesis 33). 3. 3:1). Two million Jews would gather at Shiloh on the main festivals and would camp on the surrounding hills. b. prophecy through dreams. It is found by Isaac's servants just after the covenant made between him and Abimelech. As Christians, we should be the most humble of all people, especia That was Joshuas challenge to Israel at Shechem, and it is a good one for us to heed as well. Islam sees Jacob (Ya'qub) as a Prophet of Islam and Muslims believe that he preached the same monotheistic faith as his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. When Judah returned from exile to the southern portion of the nation, the Samaritans requested to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. 14. Shechem, a son of Hamor the Hivite. Related Websites. Abraham planted here a" grove" ('eshel) (distinct from the idol grove, Asheerah, or Astarte Baal), or tree, the tamarisk, long living, of hard wood, with long, clustering, evergreenBeersheba in Hitchcock's Bible Names the well of an oath; the seventh wellBeersheba in Naves Topical Bible 1. Ya'acov) was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham the first Hebrew. 1 Chronicles 6:67 They gave to them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs. It must have been a place of strength from antiquity. Acts 7:16 and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem. These wells are in constant use today. Some (e.g. Jacob (Heb. But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. See Map of Old Testament IsraelThe land of Canaan would become the inheritance of the descendants of Abraham, and Jacob his grandson would become the father of the twelve tribes who would inherit the land promised by God. Patriarchal Period: Abram came and dwelt by the oaks of MAMRE (which see), "which are in Hebron" Gen (13:18); from here he went to the rescue of Lot and brought him back after the defeat of Chedorlaomer (14:13 f); here his name was changed to Abraham (17:5); to this place came the three angels with the promise of a son (18:1 f); Sarah died here (23:2), and for her sepulcher Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah (23:17); here Isaac and Jacob spent much of their lives (35:27; 37:14); from here Jacob sent Joseph to seek his brethren (37:14), and hence, Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt (46:1). And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. 2 Chronicles 10:2 It happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,Jeremiah 46:28 - Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I [am] with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.Ezekiel 20:5 - And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I [am] the LORD your God;Genesis 27:46 - And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these [which are] of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?Isaiah 60:16 - Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.Genesis 30:31 - And he said, What shall I give thee? Joshua 24:1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. Shechem was viewed as a neutral Canaanite city which worshipped Ba'al-berith and not Yahweh. The city, near the place, then bore the Canaanite name Luz. Beersheba. But "life-long sorrow, disgrace, and trials, in the retributive providence of God, followed as a consequence of this double union." --ED.) In the New Testament Paul writes: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. It was evidently the center, especially for the northern tribes; and hither Rehoboam came in the hope of getting his succession to the throne confirmed (1 Kings 12:1 2 Chronicles 10:1). It is traversed by the carriage road leading to Jaffa and the sea. After the return from the Captivity the phrase is narrowed into "from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom" (Neh. On some low hills north of the large wells are scattered the foundations and ruins of a town of moderate size.Beersheba in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE be-er-she'-ba (be'er shebha`; Bersabee): Allotted originally to Simeon (Josh 19:2), one of "the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah" (Josh 15:28). Jeremiah 41:5 that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of Yahweh. And he bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money. The miles based distance from Haran to Canaan is 7568.9 miles. Judges 9:26 Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. History: Bethel was a royal city of the Canaanites (Josh 12:16). Son of Kohath Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19; 1Ch 6:2,18; 23:12,19Hebron in Smiths Bible Dictionary (alliance). Abram arrived in the land, heard from the Lord at Shechem and worshipped at Bethel (Genesis 12:6-8). It was at Mahanaim that a host of angels came to comfort Jacob. The series of events recalls to Isaac's mind the original name and that which gave rise to the name; so he restores both the well itself and the name. (1.) God revealed to Jacob His plan of redemption through offering His only son as a substitute for the sins of the whole world. 13:22). 5:5); and here he was anointed as king over all Israel (2 Sam. What made the difference? Like some 50 other Hebrew names of this same form, it has no subject for the verb expressed. 3. Of course, from a historian's point of view, it is more likely that Abraham did not really exist. The fruitful and well-wooded valley winds westward among the hills. It is nearly midway between the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean.Beersheba in Fausset's Bible Dictionary Beersheba means "well of the oath". Joshua also designated Shechem as a city of refuge. of Zion. The name of this city does not occur in any of the prophets or in the New Testament. And David said, Whither shall I go up? The first mention of Shechem in the Bible is Genesis 12:6, when Abram first entered Canaan. Hither the ark was brought from Gilgal (Jdg 2:1, Septuagint). Built seven years before Zoan in Egypt (Numbers 13:22). 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. 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). There are four springs which yield supplies of good water. Peniel. 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). Hebron was called for a time also Mamre, from Abram's ally (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 35:27). Jehovah's vision to David in the same spot, before the preparation for building the temple there, revived the name Moriah (2 Samuel 24:16; 2 Samuel 24:24-25.) In one part of the modern city is a great mosque, which is built over the grave of Machpelah. This study will discuss the significance of Shechem, a city in central Israel. 2. 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. 19 And from the sons of d Hamor, Shechem's father, e he bought for a hundred pieces of money 5 the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. Jacob, now called Israel, sends Joseph to meet his brothers. Abram traveled from Ur to Haran with his father Terah and settled there (Genesis 11:31). jacob's journey from beersheba to haran distanceduskull evolution arceus. Probably because of its ease of access in a time of possible flight, a manslayer could take refuge from his avenger in Shechem, one of the three cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan (Josh. 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). Twice in this verse Joshua gives the command: serve the LORD. In fact it is the main command of the whole chapter. . When his end was approaching Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel here and addressed to them his final words of counsel and exhortation (chapter 24). His history is related in the latter half of the book of Genesis. the pestilence. 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 miles based distance from Haran to Canaan is 7568.9 miles. 1Sa 7:16 Here Jeroboab placed one of the two calves of gold. Also from Mahanaim Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to request peace from his brother Esau (Gen. 32:1-5). Nicosia: Rohr Productions, 1999. The old man could have easily seen much of the Promised Land if he scaled Mount Ebal and scanned the horizon. It is named as on the northern border of Benjamin (the southern of Ephraim, Josh 16:2), at the top of the ascent from the Jordan valley by way of Ai (Josh 18:13). DISTANCE: It was a long and difficult journey of more than fourhundred miles (about 600km) from Canaan (Bethel) to Haran. Rasmussem, Carl G. Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible. Please help us share God's truths and hope in Christ. Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD (v 14). Modern Shechem:The modern town contains about 20,000 inhabitants, the great body of them being Moslems. This location is quite a distance from Seir, in Edom, which is where Jacob's twin brother, Esau, currently lives (Genesis 32:3). Shechem first steps on the pages of Scripture as Abram enters the land of Canaan. A place in Central Israel, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.