Sychem

Sychem is the Greek transliteration of Shechem, appearing once in the New Testament in Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:16), where he refers to the tomb at Sychem purchased by Abraham from the sons of Emmor. The site corresponds to ancient Shechem in the central highlands of Canaan, located in the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. It was one of the most significant cities in Israelite history — the place where God first appeared to Abram after he entered Canaan (Genesis 12:6), where Joshua renewed the covenant with Israel before his death (Joshua 24), and where the kingdom divided under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12). The Greek form Sychem was used by the Septuagint translators and carried over into the New Testament's citations of earlier Israelite history.