Location
Overview
Mount Ebal rises north of Shechem, facing Mount Gerizim across the valley. It is "the mount of cursing," where Israel formally took the covenant upon itself.
The altar on Ebal
As Moses commanded, Joshua "built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal," of unhewn stones, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (Joshua 8:30–31).
The covenant read
There Joshua wrote a copy of the law on the stones and read "all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings" before all Israel — half the tribes facing Gerizim for the blessing and half facing Ebal for the curse (Joshua 8:33–35; cf. Deuteronomy 27:13).
The mountain of the curse
Ebal was the mountain from which the curses for breaking the covenant were proclaimed, a solemn counterpart to the blessings of Gerizim.
Events Here
Joshua builds an altar and reads the law on Mount Ebal
Scripture References
5 versesDeuteronomy3 verses
Deuteronomy 11:29
And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
Deuteronomy 27:4
Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.
Deuteronomy 27:13
And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. to curse: Heb. for a cursing
Joshua2 verses
Joshua 8:30
Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
Joshua 8:33
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
Archaeology & History
Mount Ebal (940 m) is the higher of the two peaks above modern Nablus. A large ancient stone structure excavated on its slopes has been proposed by some as Joshua's altar, though the identification is debated. Its pairing with Gerizim frames the covenant ceremony of Deuteronomy and Joshua.
People who appear here
Objects mentioned here
Frequently asked about Mount Ebal
Where is Mount Ebal today?
Today, Mount Ebal corresponds to Mount Ebal, above Nablus.
What happened at Mount Ebal in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Mount Ebal include joshua builds an altar and reads the law on mount ebal.
Where is Mount Ebal first mentioned in the Bible?
Mount Ebal is first mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:29.
How often is Mount Ebal mentioned in the Bible?
Mount Ebal is mentioned in 5 verses across 2 books: Deuteronomy, Joshua.
What happened on Mount Ebal?
Joshua built an altar there, wrote the law on stones, and led Israel in the covenant ceremony of blessings and curses — Ebal being the mountain of the curses.
Where is Mount Ebal?
It is the northern of the two mountains flanking Shechem (modern Nablus) in the West Bank, opposite Mount Gerizim.