Shechem
Shechem had been a Canaanite settlement, mentioned on an Egyptian stele of a noble at the court of Senusret III (c. 1880 - 1840 BC). Shechem first appears in the Tanakh in Genesis 12:6-8, which records how Abraham reached the "great tree of Moreh" at Shechem and offered sacrifice nearby. Later Joseph's bones were brought out of Egypt and reburied at Shechem.
In the Amarna Letters, "Shachmu" (Shechem) was the center of a kingdom carved out by Labaya or Labayu, a Canaanite warlord who recruited mercenaries from among the Habiru. The city fell to the Israelites sometime before 1000 BCE. It was one of the major cities of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
In Classical times, Shechem was the main settlement of the Samaritans, whose cultic center was on Mount Gerizim, just outside of the town.In Acts vii. 16 the place is called "Sychem", and in the Gospel of John v. 5 it is called "Sychar".
See also
Kingdom of IsraelExternal links
- All about Shechem and the communities around it
- Full archaeological and Biblical discussion of Shechem
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Shechem