Bible Location
5 cross references · Modern-day map available
Mount Ebal is the mountain north of Shechem opposite Mount Gerizim in the central hill country. It is important because it was chosen as the site for covenant curses and for one of Israel's earliest great altar ceremonies in the land. First appears in Deut 11:29.1
Coordinates
32.23, 35.27
First appears
Deut 11:29
AI summary: Mount Ebal matters because it stands at the center of Israel's covenant geography. Deuteronomy assigns it a solemn role in the public proclamation of blessing and curse, and Joshua records the altar built there after entry into the land. That makes Ebal a mountain of accountability rather than scenic symbolism alone. The cross references present Mount Ebal as a place where law, worship, and covenant responsibility were set before the people in unmistakably public form.1
Latitude
32.23
Longitude
35.27
Bible references
5
A mountain 3,076 feet above the level of the sea, and 1,200 feet above the level of the valley, on the north side of which stood the city of Shechem (q.v.). On this mountain six of the tribes (Deut. 27:12, 13) were appointed to take their stand and respond according to a prescribed form to the imprecations uttered in the valley, where the law was read by the Levites (11:29; 29:4, 13). This mountain was also the site of the first great altar erected to Jehovah (Deut. 27:5-8; Josh. 8:30-35). After this the name of Ebal does not again occur in Jewish history. (See GERIZIM.) 3
Source note: this 1893 dictionary language reflects its period and may be culturally insensitive or outdated. It is presented as historical source material, not as ai-BIBLE’s language, interpretation, or endorsement.
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.