The altar on Mount Ebal,

the biblical altar of Joshua in Samaria?

On the slope of a hill in Samaria called Mount Ebal, near Shechem, Haifa University professor Adam Zertal discovered a strange rectangular assemblage of rough stones in 1982.
Its excavation revealed numerous artifacts that seem to identify it with an ancient proto-Israelite sacrificial altar.
The characteristics of the site even seem to correspond to a specific episode in the First Alliance (Old Testament): Joshua's construction of an altar on Mount Ebal. In a book aimed at a wide readership, the discoverer of the site recounts this astonishing archaeological and human adventure with strong historical and religious implications.

A singular mound of stones

Lost on an arid hillside in Samaria, a simple pile of stones went unnoticed for millennia until it was excavated by archaeologist Adam Zertal of Haifa University. The excavation revealed an original stone construction. The assemblage consists of a rectangular platform with an access ramp, surrounded by several low walls. This layout is unlike anything known.

Image opposite: the step-by-step uncovering of the sacrificial altar at Mount Ebal. Adam Zertal, University of Haifa.

Excavations reveal a collection of archaeological objects that baffle archaeologists: pottery shards, large quantities of ash, charred mammal bones, carved Egyptian scarabs and buried vases containing various handicrafts. Examination of these finds indicates that the ensemble dates back to antiquity, and provides a precise date for the site's occupation in the 13th century BC.

A discovery difficult to interpret

Several seasons of excavation followed between 1982 and 1989. A vast enclosure formed by a long low stone wall surrounds the entire area. The rectangular structure is built of uncut limestone blocks. Around this central assemblage are innumerable small stone circles, delimiting burial zones where intact jars contain jewelry and various gold and silver metal objects. At the far end of the building, a hiding place contains a pumice-cut standing bowl and two stone hammers.

Image opposite: aerial view of the enclosure with the sacrificial altar at its center. Adam Zertal, University of Haifa.

The study of the pottery, whose style indicates the period of production, is compared with that of two Egyptian amulets carved in the shape of scarabs and dating back to the time of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). The ages coincide and unambiguously date them to the 13th century BC.
The site appears to have been used only briefly, perhaps for a single event.

Hypothesis: a biblical altar erected by Joshua?

To determine the site's function, researchers initially hesitated to equate it with a tower or a farm. But when Adam Zertal considered the burnt bones, which were those of animals in accordance with the Mosaic Law, he came up with the idea of an old sacrificial altar, in this case a Hebrew place of worship. Its particularly ancient age corresponds to the time when the very first Hebrews appeared in the Levant.

Image opposite: reconstruction of the altar on Mount Ebal. Adam Zertal, University of Haifa.

It was only while rereading the Scriptures that his attention was drawn to a little-known episode in the First Alliance (Old Testament): Joshua, Moses' successor, is said to have built a stone altar on Mount Ebal and offered sacrifices to the Hebrew god Yahweh (Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse 29, and chapter 27 verses 4 to 13; ; Josué chapter 8 verses 30 to 33).
This episode is part of the series of stories that follow the Exodus of the Hebrews at Sinai under the leadership of Moses. His successor Joshua led the entry of God's people into Canaan and the military conquest of the Promised Land. After the capture of Jericho, the Hebrew people went to Mount Ebal to perform this sacrificial rite, before continuing their successful advance into the land of Canaan.
The biblical reference to Joshua's altar fits particularly well with the characteristics of the site. The ashes and bones are the traces of the holocaust. The stones of the exhumed structure are rough, not cut, as the biblical verses make clear. The standing bowl and hammers are ritual utensils and construction tools. The buried jars filled with artifacts are believed to be offering urns deposited by the Israelites.

Image opposite: top view of the various parts of the Mount Ebal altar. Adam Zertal, University of Haifa. 

A comparison is made between the structure uncovered and the documentation available on ancient altars. The researchers found that its design is identical to the description of an altar from the Jerusalem Temple built centuries later, confirming the site's cult status.
Adam Zertal's work was not limited to Mount Ebal. Numerous archaeological surveys were also carried out in Samaria on the supposed traces of the first Hebrews. Other geographical locations mentioned in Scripture have been identified with plausibility. The transmission of local lifestyles over the centuries is studied, as are agricultural techniques and dietary practices. An original scenario is proposed to explain the appearance of the Israeli nation in history.

A discovery with far-reaching societal implications

These results are published in the American journal Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR) in 1985, then in the Tel-Aviv University journal in 1987. An author's work in Hebrew, «‘Am nolad» (Birth of a nation), was published in 2000.
As soon as it was announced, the discovery of the Mount Ebal site provoked a deluge of protests in the academic world: Adam Zertal's conclusions ran counter to well-established majority thinking, according to which the accounts of this part of the First Alliance (the Old Testament) are merely pious legends or late literary compositions. However, if his interpretation is correct, it confirms that the biblical episode of the altar is historically accurate.

Image opposite: restoration of the altar is now complete. Adam Zertal, University of Haifa.

One particularity makes this archaeological site quite unique: the remains of Mount Ebal only make sense in the context of the Book of Joshua. There are very few ancient discoveries that unequivocally illustrate a biblical event. Mount Ebal is one of them.
The stakes raised by his discovery are not without incidence in the context of current politico-religious tensions. Yet Adam Zertal's sole aim is to advance historical knowledge.
At a time when the credibility of the First Covenant (Old Testament) is often questioned, its divergent voice claims that for once, the data on the ground is fully in line with the story. From this point of view, the Mount Ebal site could find its place in universal culture, in the same way as the Dead Sea Scrolls.