Shechem (Nablus)
(Genesis 33:18)
Arab city in Samarian Hills between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Site of ancient city continuously occupied from Bronze Age to the present-day.
History: Shechem is mentioned in Egyptian writings from 19th century BCE and in Tell el Amarna letters from the 14th century BCE.
First mentioned in the Bible at time of the Patriarchs: Abraham built an altar to the Lord nearby (Genesis 12:6-7), Jacob bought a piece of land outside Shechem and erected an altar (Genesis 33:18-19). Here Dinah, daughter of Jacob, was raped and avenged by her brothers Simeon and Levi who destroyed the city (Genesis 34). During the Israelite conquest the border between tribal allotments of Ephraim and Manasseh passed through Shechem (Joshua 17:7).
It was one of the 6 cities of refuge (Joshua. 20:7). The bones of Joseph, brought up from Egypt, were buried here (Joshua 24:32). After the division of the Israelite commonwealth, Shechem was residence of Jeroboam and capital of his kingdom (I Kings 12:25). After the destruction of Kingdom of Israel, the king of Assyria settled exiled Cuthians in Shechem (II Kings 17:24) . In time, they became the Samaritans and made Shechem their political and religious center. Alexander the Great permitted a Samaritan temple to be built on Mt. Gerizim. In 129 BCE John Hyrcanus seized Shechem and destroyed the temple. In 72 CE Vespasian completely destroyed the old city and built a new city in its stead between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal (site of present-day city), calling it Flavia Neapolis (hence Arab name: Nablus) .
The Mishnah and Talmud also refer to the city as Nipolis or Nipolin. In the Madaba map Shechem is depicted as a walled city. Emperor Hadrian (117-138) built a temple to Jupiter on Mt. Gerizim. Emperor Zeno (474-491) built a church here and Justinian I (527-565) built several churches within the city proper. In the 4th century CE it ranked as an episcopal see. In 636 it was captured by the Arabs. Later Crusaders settled here and built many buildings. In 1259 it was a haven for Jews fleeing Jerusalem fearing a Mongol invasion. diflucan-fluconazole.net from the 16th century onward tell of a local Jewish revival. This continued till the beginning of the 20th century when it declined. The city was destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1927.
Ancient remains: Ancient Shechem has been identified with Tell Balata at the eastern outskirts of the city. Excavations have uncovered remains from the Chalcolithic till Roman Periods, including city walls, towers and temples, a cuneiform Akkadian inscription and an Iron Age seal.
