Subject: JUICE Geography: (SHECHEM) - Lesson #2
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 22:44:11 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 16:50:33 +0300 (IST)
From: JUICE Administration <juice@virtual.co.il>
To: geography@virtual.co.il
Subject: JUICE Geography 2
==============================================================
World Zionist Organization
Jewish University in CyberspacE
juice@wzo.org.il birnbaum@wzo.org.il
http://www.wzo.org.il
==============================================================
Course: Biblical Geography
Lecture: 2/12
Lecturer: Robin Treistman
SHECHEM (NABLUS)
For pictures that accompany the lecture, see
http://www.wzo.org.il/juice/map/shechem/index.html
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
The city of Shechem, also called Nablus, is located about 50 km
north of Jerusalem and 30 km west of the current border with
Jordan. It is a city that lies in a valley, flanked on the north
by Har Eival (940m above sea-level) and by Har Grizim (881m above
sea-level) on the south.
Shechem is located on a vital and well-travelled east-west
"highway" connected to the Jordan River crossing at Adam by the
riverbed, Wadi-El-Pariah (Nachal Tirzah). This route, from the
Jordan river to Shechem was called in the Bible, "derech mavo
hashemesh" - the way of the setting sun.
The fact that Shechem is situated also on a north-south ancient
"highway" seems a bit odd given that it is blocked on the north
and on the south by mountains. Keep in mind that it was always
in the interests of travelers to remain in the lowlands, even if
the journey took them days out of their way. Such is the case
with the location of Shechem - the approach to the city is from
the east and west, but it was an essential passage for north-
south travel (see http://www.wzo.org.il/juice/map/map5.htm).
The modern city is built where the Roman city, Flavia Neapolis
(hence, "Nablus" according to the Arabic pronunciation) stood.
The ancient (Biblical) city was at Tel Balata which is east of
Nablus and not quite in the narrow passage between the two
mountains. (Note: A tel is an archaelogical mound. It is a
characteristically out-of-place hill which contains layers of
archaelogical ruins from different historical periods.)
BIBLICAL HISTORY
Shechem is the first location in the land of Israel to be
mentioned in the Bible. Immediately following God's commandment
to Abraham (then, Abram) to leave his birthplace and his father's
household to "go to the place I will show you," (Genesis 12;1)
Abraham picks himself up from Haran (located in modern Turkey)
and travels with his household west and then south until he
reaches the eastern border of the Land of Canaan. The Bible then
states, "And Abram crossed into the land unto the place of
Shechem, unto Elon Moreh, and the Canaanites were in the land"
(Gen. 12;6). Abraham most likely crossed the river by the Adam
Bridge and headed northwest through Wadi-El-Pariah until he
reached Shechem. Notice, the Bible does _not_ call it "the city
of Shechem," rather the "place" or the "location" of Shechem.
Biblical commentators (Ibn Ezra, Hizkuni) explain that in
Abraham's time, the city of Shechem was not yet built. However,
his first stop was in the place where the city would be built in
the future. There is a geographical debate among Biblical
commentators as to where Shechem is in relation to Elon Moreh.
Some (Ramban, Rashi) say that Elon Moreh _is_ one and the same
as Shechem; others say that Elon Moreh was a separate location
nearby, which indicates that Abraham only passed through the
place where Shechem would be in the future, but he lodged in Elon
Moreh. Either way, Elon Moreh (Shechem) was the first place in
the Land of Israel where God appeared to Abraham telling him that
the land would be given to his descendants (Gen. 12;7). In
acknowledgement of the Divine vision, Abraham then built an altar
there. How long Abraham remained at Shechem/Elon Moreh before
moving to his next stop in not clear from the text.
The next time Shechem is mentioned in the Bible occurs as Jacob
is coming back to the land of Canaan (Israel) after an extended
stay with his cousin, Laban, in Haran. The incident that occurs
at this point in Shechem is the infamous rape of Dina, Jacob's
daughter, by Shechem, the son of Hamor, with the subsequent
revenge taken by her brothers, Simeon and Levi. Before continuing
in this lecture, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with
the details of the story (Gen. 33;19 - 34;31) as I'll be
referring to it in the paragraphs below.
An important interjection here: Shechem, the son of Hamor (the
Hivite King) plays a leading role in this event that occurs at
Shechem. Of course, one should not confuse him with the place,
but the two must be connected. How? There is room for debate on
this issue: Was Shechem the prince named after the city or was
the city named after Shechem? There are two biblical
illustrations which intensify this debate: There is a biblical
interpretation that states that the word, Shechem, could be
derived from the Hebrew word that means "shoulder" - Shechem was
was indeed located between two "shoulders" (mountains). This
would indicate that Shechem was the ageless name of the location,
and the prince, Shechem, was named after the place. On the other
hand, it was a well-known ancient practice that rulers would
build (or conquer) kingdoms and/or cities and name them after
themselves or after close family members (see Genesis 4;17 and
Samuel II 5;9). This would indicate that Hamor named the place
Shechem after his son.
Returning from Haran, Jacob's journey is interrupted by various
events. Among them are a confrontation with Laban at Mt. Gilad,
a legendary and archtypal confrontation with an angel at Pnuel
(by the crossing of the Yabok River in modern-day Jordan) and
then a tense confrontation with his brother Esau in the same
place (Gen. 31;25 / 32;25-32 / 33;1 respectively). After these
events plus another short stop in Succot, Jacob and his family
crossed over the Jordan River and headed northwest until they
reached Shechem. Notice, they most likely followed the same route
that Abraham did. Announcing their arrival, the Bible states,
(Genesis 33;18) "And Jacob arrived complete (?) to the city of
Shechem... and he camped opposite (?) the city." The question
marks inserted into this verse represent words which are subject
to different interpretations. It is worthwhile to analyze the
various interpretations in order to get a broader picture of the
city at that time.
The translation of the verse here is based on Rashi's (and
others', based on the Midrash Rabbah) explanation. Despite the
various confrontations along the way, Jacob arrived at Shechem
physically, spiritually, and monetarily "complete" or "whole."
This explanation is rejected by other commentators for veering
from the literal interpretation. They (Rashbam, Chizkuni) suggest
that the word for "complete" (shalem) in this case is actually
the name of a city (NOT to be confused with Shalem, the earliest
name of Jerusalem). Therefore, the verse should be read, "And
Jacob arrived in Shalem, a city within the larger kingdom of
Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan."
This interpretation, along with the El Amarna letters, shed light
on the nature of the place in the time of Jacob. The land of
Canaan was essentially dotted by isolated Canaanite kingdoms with
Shechem as one of the largest. Its capital and central city was
also called Shechem. The territorial region of the kingdom was
quite large (extending from the northern border of the Jerusalem
kingdom to the southern border of the Megiddo Kingdom, westward
to the border of Israel's coastal plain and eastward to the
Jordan Valley). However, it was heavily forrested and only
sparsely populated. Wanting to extend their population base could
be the reason why the Hivite people (a Canaanite nation who were
the main inhabitants of Shechem) were so willing to enter into
a covenant with Jacob's clan - even to the point where the men
would have themselves circumcised.
As mentioned in the verse above, Jacob camped "opposite" the
city. Where he camped, he bought the land (Gen. 33;20). This is
the second place in the bible where a patriarch purchases land
in Israel (see lecture on Hebron). Based on the verses, he didn't
buy land inside the city; rather, he opted for land right across
from it, as he needed grazing land for his flocks. Welcome to the
Bible's first suburb! Residence there, nevertheless, was short-
lived, as related by the continuing narrative: Simeon and Levy
destroy the city of Shechem, and Jacob's family head south toward
Beit El.
Shechem is mentioned again in connection with the sale of Joseph.
By now, Jacob's family is living in Hebron. Jacob's sons (not
including Joseph and Benjamin) go "to graze their father's sheep
in Shechem." (Gen. 37;12). Most likely the text is referring to
the Kingdom of Shechem (the southern border of which is not far
from Hebron) and not the city. What happens is that Joseph heads
toward the city of Shechem, gets lost, and is redirected by a
"man" (or angel acc. to biblical interpretation) to Dotan. Dotan
was another locality (where nowadays is a tel which testifies to
the presence of ancient civilization there) within the Kingdom
of Shechem, and it is there that Joseph catches up with his
brothers and is sold (Gen. 37;17-28).
In the book of Deuteronomy, there is an interesting but obscure
episode. Moses says that he is handing over to the nation the
"blessing and the curse" - the blessing for when the people obey
God's word, the curse for when they stray from God and worship
false gods (Deut. 11; 26-28). The text then continues, "And it
shall be when God brings you into the land to inherit it, and you
will 'give' the blessing on Mt. Grizim and the curse on Mt.
Eival." Moses then specifies exactly where these mountains are
located: "They are on the other side of the Jordan River [Moses
was speaking in present-day Jordan], beyond the passage of the
setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the plain,
opposite Gilgal, next to Elonei Moreh" (Deut. 11; 29-30).
Recalling the discussion about Elon Moreh by Abraham, we see that
whether Shechem is Elon Moreh or adjacent to it, this commandment
points geographically to Shechem and its immediate surroundings.
Verses in Deut. 27 describe the entire procedure of this event
including the building of a memorial and an altar on Mt. Eival,
what was to be recited, and who was meant to stand where (see
text there for details). Six of the tribes are to stand on Mt.
Grizim and the other six on Mt. Eival with the Priests (and/or
honored Levites, depending on the interpretation) in the valley
(essentially in present-day Shechem).
We find the fulfillment of this commandment in the book of
Joshua: After the second conquest within the land of Israel which
took place at Ai, Joshua leads the tribes northward to Mts.
Grizim and Eival. The first thing he did on arrival was build the
altar on Mt. Eival, and offer some sacrifices. Next, he brought
some stones to make the monument on which he wrote a certain
portion of the Torah. Lastly, they read aloud the blessings and
the curses with every member of the tribes standing on the
mountains and the Priests (or honored Levites) in the valley
(Joshua 8; 30-35). Basically, he did everything that was
commanded through Moses back on the other side of the Jordan
River.
When Joshua divided up the land among the tribes, (c. 1240 BCE)
(see http://www.wzo.org.il/juice/map/map1.htm),
the location of the city of Shechem fell to the lot of Menashe,
the son of Joseph (Joshua 17;7). However, other verses suggest
that Shechem actually lay on the border between the inheritances
of Menashe and Ephraim, the other son of Joseph. Firstly, before
Jacob died in Egypt, he handed over his conquered (and purchased)
land in Shechem to his son Joseph (Gen. 48;22). After the
conquest and partition of the land, Joseph was buried in Shechem
(as per his request not to be buried in Egypt - Gen. 50;25) which
is called the "inheritance of his sonS" (Joshua 24;32). Another
indication that Shechem was on the border between Menashe and
Ephraim is the fact that after the conquest and division, Joshua
who was of the tribe of Ephraim, settled down and did his
necessary work in Shechem (Joshua 24;25-26).
Interestingly enough, Shechem was not only inhabited by the two
tribes of Joseph's sons. The tribe of Levi did not receive a
portion in the land. Each of the other tribes provided cities for
the Levites to inhabit. Shechem was such a city: It was "given"
to those who were not of the Priestly family in the Kehat lineage
of the Levite tribe (Joshua 21;21). In addition to that, Shechem
was one of the three "arei miklat" on the west side of the Jordan
River - cities of refuge for people who committed involuntary
manslaughter. (The three were Kedesh in the north, Shechem in the
center, and Hebron in the south [Joshua 20;7].)
Many of the archaelogical findings at Tel Balata (ancient
Shechem) date from this period. Studies indicate that there was
a lull in the occupation of the city toward the late Canaanite
period with a major resurgence during the Israelite period. Also,
the traditional site of Joseph's tomb lies near the edge of the
tel (i.e. by the ancient city).
The next event that occured in Shechem happened about 120 years
later (c. 1120 BCE). I recommend that you familiarize yourself
with the story in the Book of Judges chapter 9 (read chapter 8
also to get some family background) about Avimelech. That the
episode takes place in Shechem is very significant. Remember that
in the book of Joshua, Shechem is allotted to the tribe of
Menashe (and Ephraim). However, there is no story of any conquest
of the area. Inferring from this, we can see that the Canaanite
minority in the area probably succumbed peacefully to the rule
of the Israelites. It was indeed a minority then, but their
religious influence on the Israelites was very powerful. Sure
enough, during the period of the Judges (the 2-300 years between
Joshua and King Saul) there were constant problems of idol-
worship among the nation. Specifically in Shechem, there was a
"Beit Ba'al Brit" - a temple of the idol Ba'al. Though it was
most likely set up by the descendants of the Hivites, it was
frequented by the Israelites.
The story of Avimelech is the first (failed) attempt to establish
a king over Israel. Avimelech was one of seventy sons of the
mighty judge Gideon of the tribe of Menashe (who had temporarily
rid the people of their enemies and of their idol-worship). His
mother lived in Shechem, and continued to live there in her
father's house even though she was a concubine of Gideon. After
Gideon died, Avimelech petitioned the VIP's of Shechem saying
that it would be better having just one ruler rather than
seventy, and who would be better than one of their own? With
their consent, he hired some thugs and massacred all of his
brothers save one. He then declared himself king and ruled over
most of the center of the country for three years. Read the story
in Judges 9 for the gory details of the massacre of Shechem and
his own death.
It becomes apparent from this incident that Shechem consisted of
a mixture of peoples with fuzzy social boundaries. Chances are
that the VIP's of Shechem were wealthy Canaanite landowners who
were interested in total integration with the Israelites on their
own terms. They were able to pay off a leader who would allow
them to worship as they pleased (as opposed to Gideon who kept
them in check). Furthermore, as soon as things went awry, they
had enough power to incite a rebellion against Avimelech. As a
result, Shechem lost a substantial number of inhabitants at the
hand of Avimelech - about 1000 in the last battle alone (Judges
9;49).
Jumping ahead some 190 years, Shechem is once again in the
spotlight. After the death of King Solomon, his son, Rechavam
heads north to Shechem to be anointed king over the entire nation
(Kings I 12 and Chronicles II 10). The nation complained to
Rechavam about the heavy taxation imposed by his father and asked
that he lessen it. After following the counsel of his advisors,
he answered that his rule would be even harsher than that of his
father. The northern tribes rejected the rule of Rechavam, and
it is then (928 BCE) that the kingdom split into the Kingdoms of
Judah (south) and Israel (north). Read the Biblical text for the
details of this episode.
Jerobam was then established as king over Israel while Rechavam
continued to reign over the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi,
who left their cities in Israel and relocated in Judah in
solidarity with Rechavam. The first kingly act of Jerobam was to
establish Shechem as the capital of Israel. Its centrality and
historical importance were instrumental in Jerobam's choice of
location. However, his reign in Shechem was short-lived, and he
moved the capital to Penuel most likely for strategic reasons
(Kings I 12;25). Remember, at that point, all his moves were
strategic and political to strengthen and solidify the fledgling
kingdom. For example, Jerobam established new spiritual centers
so that the Israelites wouldn't need to cross the border into
Judah to reach Jerusalem (Kings I 12;26-33). Likewise, he
recognized the need to build fortified cities to make the people
feel secure under their new ruler. The geography of Shechem makes
it difficult to fortify; with fortification, it is still quite
vulnerable. He therefore moved the capital to a "safer" spot and
built his fortification there.
POST-BIBLICAL HISTORY
The history of Shechem after the period of the Bible is actually
rooted in a critical Biblical event. In 721 BCE, after 3 years
of siege, the Kingdom of Israel was dismantled and exiled by
Shalmanesser, King of Assyria (Kings II 17;5-6). The strategy by
which Assyria ruled most of the civilized world was that of
"population transfer." Therefore, they exiled the Israelites
eastward (hence the "ten lost tribes") and brought peoples from
other lands in the east to settle in Israel (from Babylon, Kut,
Ava, Chamat, and Sparvayim) (Kings II 17;24-25). The story
continues in Kings II 17;26-33 about how these people adopted a
certain form of Judaism.
Based on the Bible, it is these people (mainly the Kutim), the
inhabitants of Samaria, who became the Samaritans. They were
taught certain aspects of Judaism by a priest who was returned
from exile by Assyria for that purpose. Their religion began as
a mixture of paganism and monotheism, but evolved toward
monotheism over time. Note that according to Samaritan sources,
(the Samaritans do not recognize the Bible beyond their version
of the Five Books of Moses) it is denied that their origins lay
in people foreign to Israel. Rather, they claim to be direct
descendants of the Israelites who splintered due to differing
religious principles.
Over time, there were numerous clashes between the Samaritans and
the Jews (see Ezra 4 for a Biblical example). It is clear from
the Biblical text that when the Jewish exiles returned from
Babylon, they returned to their cities in Judah and not in
Israel. Therefore, the Samaritans and other minorities were the
chief inhabitants of cities in the former Kingdom of Israel.
One of the main points of discord between Judaism and the
Samaritan religion is the belief in the site that was "chosen by
God." Judaism sees it as Jerusalem while the Samaritans see it
as Mount Grizim. The Samaritans therefore over time converged
toward Mount Grizim and inhabited Shechem since the time of the
first exile until today. At the time, they called their village
between the two mountains "Maabarata" meaning passage.
According to Flavius Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 11), the
Samaritans had built a Temple on Mt. Grizim which was later
destroyed in 128 BCE by the Jewish High Priest, John Hyrcanus.
Archeological excavations suggest the presence of a Samaritan
Temple not on the main peak of Mt. Grizim but rather on its lower
northern summit at Tel er-Ras. Similar to Judaism, the absence
of a temple created the need for a synagogue which is located in
modern-day Shechem in the Samaritan Quarter.
The Samaritans were not spared the religious persecutions of the
nations (Greek and Roman) that ruled over Israel. When Judea was
conquered by Rome and the Jews exiled, the Romans also exerted
their jurisdiction over Shechem (Maabarata). In 72 CE, under the
auspices of the Roman emperor Vespasian, a Roman city called
Flavia Neapolis was built west of the area of biblical Shechem
(where Tel Balata is today). In 135 CE Hadrian built a temple to
Zeus on Mt. Grizim, most likely on the site of the ruins of the
Samaritan temple. Like the region of Shechem in Biblical times,
by the year 300 CE, Neapolis was actually a large region with the
city of Flavia Neapolis as its center.
Since 636 CE with the Arab conquest of Byzantine Israel, Shechem
has been primarily Moslem (though a small Jewish community
remained there until roughly 1900). The Arab pronunciation of the
Roman name is the basis of its present-day name, Nablus. During
the Crusades, the Christians held the city for a brief interval
from 1099-1187 using it as the Crusader capital, calling it
Naples. In modern times, the city was held under the British
Palestinian Mandate and was captured by Arab forces in the 1948
War of Israel's Independence. It was annexed to Jordan following
the war and remained in her hands until the Six-Day War in 1967.
Today, it is located in the region called Samaria, (see
http://www.wzo.org.il/juice/map/map3.htm) and is one of
many cities involved in the peace-process negotiations with the
Palestinians. There is still a small but active Samaritan
community in Nablus (the community totals about 700 according to
a radio interview with a Samaritan representative with about half
living in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv.)
Description of the Sources:
-- El Amarna Letters: A royal Egyptian archive discovered at El
Amarna. It consisted of letters of correspondence dated between
c. 1402-1347 BCE written in Cuneiform on clay tablets.
Approximately one-half of the epistles come from the Kings of
Canaan, and they provide the most detailed description of life
in Canaan at the time.
-- RaMBaN (Nahmanides): (1194-1270) Gerona, Catalonia (Spain)
Famous for works encompassing the fields of philosophy, halacha,
kaballa, and Biblical exegesis, Ramban was also a poet and a
physician. At the end of his life, he escaped Spain after writing
a religiously controversial work and emigrated to Israel. His
commentary on the Bible is not limited to simple explanations of
the text; it is an attempt to illuminate the deeper meanings of
the narrative and the halacha (Jewish law) therein.
-- Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164): Ibn Ezra was born in Tudella
Spain, and spent the later part of his life in Rome. He was known
as a poet, biblical commentator, grammarian, philosopher,
astronomer, and physician. Though his Biblical commentary
contains philosphy and metaphysical views on the world, the main
emphasis is on the interpretation through grammatical
explanations.
-- RaSHBaM: (Rabbi Shmuel Ben Meir): (c. 1080-c. 1174) France.
He was a grandson of Rashi (Rabbi Solomon Bar Isaac) and studied
under him. He wrote a Biblical commentary that is characterized
by the commitment to the literal meaning of the text.
-- Hizkuni: Written by Hezekiah Ben Manoah (mid. 13th century):
Most likely from France, he wrote this Biblical commentary and
commentary on Rashi's interpretations. He is known for quoting
Midrashic works, some of which are no longer in existence, making
his work the primary source for them.
NOTE: We will be making a compilation of these sources every
three lectures to be sent out as a separate document.
REFERENCES:
Bible and Biblical Commenaries
Aharoni, Y., (1979) _The Land of the Bible: A Historical
Geography_, Westminster Press: Philadelphia
Avi-Yonah, M., (1977) _The Holy Land: From the Persian to the
Arab Conquest: A Historical Geography_, Baker Book House
Co.
Ben-Tzvi, Y. (1934) _Book of the Samaritans_ (Hebrew), Tel Aviv.
Eshel, H. (1994) _The Samarians in the Persian and Hellenistic
Periods: The Origins of Samaritanism_
Elitzur, Y. and Kiel, Y. (1993) _Atlas Daat Mikra_ (Hebrew),
Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem.
Flavius, Josephus, _Antiquities of the Jews_ in Whiston, William
(trans.) _The Works of Flavius Josephus_ (1820), David
McKay: Philadelphia.
Pummer, R. (1987) _Iconography of Religions XXIII,5: The
Samaritans_, E.J. Brill.
Yitzchaki, A. (ed.) (1980) _Israel Guide: The Northern Valleys,
Mount Carmel and Samaria_ (Hebrew), Keter and the Defense
Ministry: Jerusalem.
**********************************************************************