Joshua 8:30-35

The Altar of Blessing and of Cursing

30. Then Joshua built The passes being now secured, and the interior of the country rendered accessible, Joshua resolved to take advantage of the terror which the success of his arms had inspired in the hearts of the Canaanites, and to carry out the command of Moses respecting the ratification of the Law with solemn ceremonies (Deuteronomy 27:2-8). By a grand national act it was to be declared "in what character Israel meant to hold what it had received of God." This act was to consist of three parts:

(a) The Law was to be inscribed on "great stones" (Deuteronomy 27:2) which had been "plaistered with plaister;" and these as Memorial Stones were to be set up on "mount Ebal" (Deuteronomy 27:4);

(b) An altar of "whole stones" (Deuteronomy 27:5-6) was to be erected on the same spot and solemn sacrifices offered thereon;

(c) The priests with the Ark were to occupy the valley between Ebal and Gerizim, surrounded by the elders, officers, and judges; the curses of the Law were then to be read aloud by the Levites, to which half the tribes on Ebal were to respond with a loud Amen, and to the blessings of the Law the other half on Gerizim were similarly to testify their acquiescence.

in mount Ebal To carry out this solemn function, the first step taken by Joshua was to advance with the people from Ai and Beth-el northwards towards Shechem, to the valley bounded on the south by the range of Gerizim, and on the north by that of Ebal, "the most beautiful, perhaps it might be said the only very beautiful spot in central Palestine." Two events consecrated the valley in the memory of every Israelite. (a) It was here that Abraham halted on his journey from Chaldæa and erected his first altar to the Lord (Genesis 12:6-7); (b) It was here that Jacob settled on his return from the same region of Mesopotamia, and bought the parcel of the field, where he had spread his tent, of the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money (Genesis 33:19).