DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27910#0071
NABLOUS,
THE “ SICHEM ” OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND THE “ SYCHAB, ” OF THE NEW.
, or Shechem, in the land of Moreh,—the place where Abraham sojourned (Gen. xii. 6),
Jacob bought a parcel of land from Hamor, the father of Shechem, which he
afterwards gave to Joseph (Gen. xxxiii. 19; Josh. xxiv. 32),—is to this day a pleasing proof
of the good taste and sound judgment of those venerable patriarchs in matters residential
and agricultural.
Stanley gives the following description of its features:—““A valley green with grass,
grey with olives; gardens sloping down on each side; fresh springs rushing down in all directions;
at the end a white town, embosomed in all this verdure [vide Photograph], lodged between the two high
mountains which extend on each side of the valley, that on the south Gerizim, that on the north Ebal:
this is the aspect of Nablous, the most beautiful—perhaps it may be said the only very beautiful—spot in
central Palestine.”
*
Lord Nugent says:—“Two hours from Hawarrah brings you to the entrance of this delightful vale, rich
with the freshest verdure, and towards the town, which stands at the further end, shaded with a profusion of
clustering trees. The bases of the two noble mountains that tower above this pass on either side are not
more than a quarter of a mile apart. The southernmost, Gerizim, is said, by the traditions of the country, to
be the mountain on which Abraham prepared for the sacrifice of his only son ; and here the children of Israel
were commanded to build an altar to the Lord, and the blessings of the law were pronounced with a loud
voice to the people from Gerizim, and its curses from Ebal.”
Jacob’s Well, where Jesus conversed with the woman of Samaria, is on the right, a mile or two before
you enter the town, and is now but a narrow triangular hole cut in the rock, and almost filled with stones.
Maundrell, in 1097, descended, and found a chamber and a second well directly under the first. It was then
105 feet deep, with 12 feet of water.
Nablous is thirty-four miles north of Jerusalem, and seven miles south of Samaria. It is now a thriving
town of some 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants, with extensive manufactories of soap and other articles. The
Samaritans, of whom there are from 100 to 200, have here a small synagogue, where they preserve and
show to travellers, to the great worldly benefit of the priests, a copy of the Pentateuch on vellum, which
they assert to have been written by Abishua, the son of Phinehas, 3480 years ago.
The Scripture history of this place is briefly traced thus:—It was surprised and destroyed by Jacob’s
sons (Gen. xxxiii., xxxiv). After the conquest of the country, Shechem was made a city of refuge (Josh. xx. 7),
and one of the Levitical towns (Josh. xxi. 21). In the time of the judges Shechem became the capital of the
kingdom set up by Abimelecli (Judges ix.); but the inhabitants having rebelled, it was retaken and destroyed
by him (Judges ix. 34). It was again of importance in the time of Ptehoboam, for he there gave the meeting
to the delegates of the tribes (1 Kings xii'. 1); and it was Shechem which the first monarch of the new
kingdom made the capital of his dominion (1 Kings xii. 25). It existed during the exile, and continued for
many ages after the chief seat of the Samaritans and of their worship, their sole temple being upon Mount
Gerizim, where massive ruins, perhaps of this temple, still remain. The city was taken, and the temple
destroyed, by John Hyrcanus, B.c. 129.
THE “ SICHEM ” OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND THE “ SYCHAB, ” OF THE NEW.
, or Shechem, in the land of Moreh,—the place where Abraham sojourned (Gen. xii. 6),
Jacob bought a parcel of land from Hamor, the father of Shechem, which he
afterwards gave to Joseph (Gen. xxxiii. 19; Josh. xxiv. 32),—is to this day a pleasing proof
of the good taste and sound judgment of those venerable patriarchs in matters residential
and agricultural.
Stanley gives the following description of its features:—““A valley green with grass,
grey with olives; gardens sloping down on each side; fresh springs rushing down in all directions;
at the end a white town, embosomed in all this verdure [vide Photograph], lodged between the two high
mountains which extend on each side of the valley, that on the south Gerizim, that on the north Ebal:
this is the aspect of Nablous, the most beautiful—perhaps it may be said the only very beautiful—spot in
central Palestine.”
*
Lord Nugent says:—“Two hours from Hawarrah brings you to the entrance of this delightful vale, rich
with the freshest verdure, and towards the town, which stands at the further end, shaded with a profusion of
clustering trees. The bases of the two noble mountains that tower above this pass on either side are not
more than a quarter of a mile apart. The southernmost, Gerizim, is said, by the traditions of the country, to
be the mountain on which Abraham prepared for the sacrifice of his only son ; and here the children of Israel
were commanded to build an altar to the Lord, and the blessings of the law were pronounced with a loud
voice to the people from Gerizim, and its curses from Ebal.”
Jacob’s Well, where Jesus conversed with the woman of Samaria, is on the right, a mile or two before
you enter the town, and is now but a narrow triangular hole cut in the rock, and almost filled with stones.
Maundrell, in 1097, descended, and found a chamber and a second well directly under the first. It was then
105 feet deep, with 12 feet of water.
Nablous is thirty-four miles north of Jerusalem, and seven miles south of Samaria. It is now a thriving
town of some 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants, with extensive manufactories of soap and other articles. The
Samaritans, of whom there are from 100 to 200, have here a small synagogue, where they preserve and
show to travellers, to the great worldly benefit of the priests, a copy of the Pentateuch on vellum, which
they assert to have been written by Abishua, the son of Phinehas, 3480 years ago.
The Scripture history of this place is briefly traced thus:—It was surprised and destroyed by Jacob’s
sons (Gen. xxxiii., xxxiv). After the conquest of the country, Shechem was made a city of refuge (Josh. xx. 7),
and one of the Levitical towns (Josh. xxi. 21). In the time of the judges Shechem became the capital of the
kingdom set up by Abimelecli (Judges ix.); but the inhabitants having rebelled, it was retaken and destroyed
by him (Judges ix. 34). It was again of importance in the time of Ptehoboam, for he there gave the meeting
to the delegates of the tribes (1 Kings xii'. 1); and it was Shechem which the first monarch of the new
kingdom made the capital of his dominion (1 Kings xii. 25). It existed during the exile, and continued for
many ages after the chief seat of the Samaritans and of their worship, their sole temple being upon Mount
Gerizim, where massive ruins, perhaps of this temple, still remain. The city was taken, and the temple
destroyed, by John Hyrcanus, B.c. 129.