Gerizim: A mountain of Samaria, about 3,000 feet above the Mediterranean. It
was on the left of the valley containing the ancient town of Shechem
(q.v.), on the way to Jerusalem. It stood over against Mount Ebal,
the summits of these mountains being distant from each other about
2 miles
(Deuteronomy 27:1)ff
(Joshua 8:30-35) On the slopes of this mountain
the tribes descended from the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, together
with the tribe of Reuben, were gathered together, and gave the
responses to the blessing pronounced as the reward of obedience, when
Joshua in the valley below read the whole law in the hearing of all
the people; as those gathered on Ebal responded with a loud Amen to
the rehearsal of the curses pronounced on the disobedient. It was
probably at this time that the coffin containing the embalmed body of
Joseph was laid in the "parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the
sons of Hamor"
(Genesis 33:19; 50:25) Josephus relates (Ant. 11:8, 2)
that Sanballat built a temple for the Samaritans on this mountain,
and instituted a priesthood, as rivals to those of the Jews at
Jerusalem. This temple was destroyed after it had stood two hundred
years. It was afterwards rebuilt by Herod the Great. There is a
Samaritan tradition that it was the scene of the incident recorded in
(Genesis 22:1)ff There are many ruins on this mountain, some of which are
evidently of Christian buildings. To this mountain the woman of
Sychar referred in
(John 4:20) For centuries Gerizim was the centre of
political outbreaks. The Samaritans (q.v.), a small but united body,
still linger here, and keep up their ancient ceremonial worship.
