The Mount Ebal site is an important and highly debated site located on the northeastern spur of Mount Ebal in northern Samaria. Its height is 785 m above sea level and it overlooks the city of Nablus. Artifacts from the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I were found at the site, which mainly came from a compound that contained a large amount of ash and animal bones. Prof. Adam Zertal identified the site with the “Joshua Altar” mentioned in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua.
Research history
The site was discovered in 1980 during the Manasseh Hill Country Survey and was excavated between 1982-1989 under the direction of Prof. Adam Zertal. In the first three seasons, the excavation was carried out under the auspices of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Exploration Society, and in subsequent years through the University of Haifa. In 2019, a wet sifting of the soil from Zertal’s excavations was carried out.
The cultic compound
The site is mostly dated to the Iron Age I (ca. 1150-950 BCE). The main find is a compound, covering an area of 14.5 dunams, including a structure measuring 7 x 9 meters. Large quantities of animal remains and ash was uncovered, which were identified by Zertal as kosher animals for consumption and sacrifice. A sort of balcony (a “sovev” according to Zertal) was built around the structure. Courtyards were discovered west of the altar, with simple buildings. To the south of the structure, a residence was discovered, which according to Zertal, is the earliest “four-room house” in Israel. Pottery, jewelry, scarabs, and stone tools were also found, which were identified as cultic offerings. The site was sealed after its abandonment, a fact that may testify to its sanctity.
The lead plate
The lead plate that was discovered in 2019, measuring 2 cm by 2 cm, was found with apparently 40 letters in ancient Hebrew script. Prof. Gershon Galil from the University of Haifa claimed that the Hebrew word “be cursed” appears on the plaque several times as well as the explicit name of God. Many scholars criticized Galil’s conclusions and claimed that the finding was not properly published and did not stand up to academic scrutiny.
Academic debate
Zertal hypothesized that the building is a large high altar from the late 13th century BCE and identified it with the “Joshua Altar” (Deuteronomy 27:4; Joshua 8:30) which is part of the story of “the blessing and curse”: a covenant ceremony between the Israelites and God (Deuteronomy 27:11-14). Zertal based his conclusions on descriptions of the altar from the Second Temple period (i.e., Hellenistic and Roman periods).
If correct, Zertal asserted that his thesis will prove a match between the biblical text and archaeological finds. This adjustment enabled a renewed chronological examination of the books “Deuteronomy” and “Joshua” in which the altar on Mount Ebal is described, and would even restore, according to him, past hypotheses regarding the beginning of the Israelite settlement in Canaan.
Other researchers disputed Zertal’s hypothesis. Aharon Kempinski claimed that it was a regular residential site. Other researchers agreed that the site is a ritual site, but contested Zertal’s assertion that it is the biblical “Joshua Altar”. Prof. Israel Finkelstein and Prof. Nadav Naaman argued that there are no remains of an Israelite entity before the 11th century BCE and that even if it is indeed a cultic site, it may be Canaanite and not necessarily Israelite. Naaman further suggested that the site is the place of worship of the nearby city of Shechem, during the days of Abimelech, who was crowned king according to the Book of Judges. Benjamin Mazar claimed that since this is the only site on the mountain from the Iron Age I, it is likely that while the biblical tradition does not represent an accurate historical reality, it indeed refers to it.
Bibliography
Zertal, A. 1990. Eight excavation seasons in the site of mount Ebal. Qadmoniot 1-2: 42-50. (in Hebrew).
Hawkins, K.R. 2007. The Iron Age I Structure on Mount Ebal: Excavation and Interpterion. A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy. Andrews University.