© Charles Chandler

 

Joshua 8:30-35

 

^{30 (DH)} At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ^{31 (DH)} just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. ^{32 (DH)} And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ^{33 (DH)} And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. ^{34 (DH)} And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ^{35 (DH)} There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

There is a gap in the dialog before Joshua 8:30, since Mount Ebal is near Shechem, which is not near Ai, the location of Joshua 8:29. So this might be an insertion from another source. Another difference is that these verses mention Moses repeatedly, along with the Book of the Law, dating these verses to after 1312 bce. If it was immediately after, this would have been the altar that Jacob built in Shechem when he first moved his family there in ~1311 bce (see Genesis 33:20). If so, and if taken at face value, this is saying that Jacob was a strong advocate of Mosaic Law. Moses was still alive at that time, living in Moab. He wasn't allowed to enter Canaan, but the Levitical priests were able to participate in the ceremony.

 

 

Deuteronomy 11:29

 

^{29 (D1)} And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

Deuteronomy 11:29 also mentions Mounts Gerizim & Ebal, possibly synchronizing it with Joshua 8:30-35.

 

 

Deuteronomy 27 (The Altar on Mount Ebal)