Shechem

Shechem (Hebrew Shekem, "shoulder" or "ridge") was one of the most important cities of ancient Canaan, lying in the narrow pass between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal in the central highlands that became the heart of Ephraim. Commanding the main north–south route through the hill country, it was a natural gathering-place and again and again in Scripture the scene of covenant decision — from Abraham's first altar to Joshua's last charge, and finally to the well where Jesus offered living water.

Shechem is the first place named when Abram entered Canaan: at the oak of Moreh the LORD appeared to him with the promise, "To your offspring I will give this land," and there he built his first altar (Genesis 12:6–7). Jacob, returning from Paddan-aram, camped before the city, bought a parcel of ground, and raised an altar he called El-Elohe-Israel (Genesis 33:18–20) — yet there too his daughter Dinah was violated by Shechem son of Hamor, provoking the bloody revenge of Simeon and Levi upon the city (Genesis 34:25–26). It was near Shechem that Joseph went to seek his brothers before they sold him into Egypt (Genesis 37:12–14), and to the plot Jacob had bought there Joseph's bones were finally brought up from Egypt and buried (Joshua 24:32).

After the conquest Shechem became the great covenant sanctuary of the tribes. In obedience to Moses' command, Joshua read the blessings and curses of the law between Gerizim and Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:11–13; Joshua 8:30–35), and there, at the end of his life, he gathered all Israel for the solemn renewal of the covenant, setting before them the choice, "Choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14–15). Shechem was made a city of refuge and a Levitical city (Joshua 20:7). In the dark days of the judges, Abimelech the son of Gideon had himself made king at Shechem after murdering his brothers, only to destroy the city in civil strife and be killed himself (Judges 9:1–6, 45).

Shechem stood at the breaking-point of the kingdom as well: there all Israel came to make Rehoboam king, and his harsh refusal to lighten their yoke split the nation, ten tribes following Jeroboam, who then rebuilt Shechem as his first capital (1 Kings 12:1, 16, 25). In the New Testament the ancient site reappears near the town of Sychar, where, at Jacob's well, the wearied Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink and revealed himself as the Christ and the giver of "living water" welling up to eternal life (John 4:5–6, 13–14). So the place of Israel's recurring covenant choice became, at last, the place where the living God in the flesh called a despised Samaritan — and through her a whole town — to worship the Father in spirit and truth.