The cursed book at Mt. Ebal

Back ground of Joshua’s alter

Israel Renews the Covenant

30 Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal for Yahweh the God of Israel, 31 as Moses Yahweh’s servant commanded the ⌊Israelites⌋, as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses: “an altar of unhewn stones on which no one has ⌊wielded⌋ an iron implement.” And they offered burnt offerings on it and sacrificed fellowship offerings. 32 And there Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the ⌊Israelites⌋. 33 Then all Israel, ⌊foreigner as well as native⌋, with the elders, officials, and judges stood ⌊on either side⌋ of the ark before the priests and the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses Yahweh’s servant had commanded before to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, according to all that was written in the scroll of the law. 35 There was not a word from all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before the assembly of all Israel, and the women, the little children, and the traveling foreigners among them.

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Jos 8:30–35.

Ge 36:23

Now these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

Dt 11:29

“And it will happen that when Yahweh your God has brought you to the land that you are going to, to take possession of it, then you shall pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

Dt 27:4

And when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up these stones that I am commanding you about today on Mount Ebal, and you shall paint them with lime.

Dt 27:13

And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for delivering the curse: Reuben, Gad and Asher and Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

Jos 8:30

Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal for Yahweh the God of Israel,

Jos 8:33

Then all Israel, foreigner as well as native, with the elders, officials, and judges stood on either side of the ark before the priests and the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses Yahweh’s servant had commanded before to bless the people of Israel.

1 Ch 1:22

Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,

1 Ch 1:40

The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.

24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, it shall be yours; your boundary shall be from the desert and Lebanon from the river, the river Euphrates, on up to the western sea. 25 No one can take a stand ⌊against you⌋; your dread and your fear Yahweh your God will put on the ⌊surface⌋ of all the land ⌊where you tread⌋, just as he ⌊promised⌋ to you. 26 “See, I am setting ⌊before you⌋ ⌊today⌋ a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God that I am commanding you ⌊today⌋, 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but rather you turn from the way that I am commanding you ⌊today⌋ to go after other gods that you have not known. 29 “And it will happen that when Yahweh your God has brought you to ⌊the land that you are going to⌋, to take possession of it, then you shall pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 (Are they not beyond the Jordan, ⌊toward the west⌋, in the land of the Canaanites living in the Jordan Valley, opposite Gilgal beside the terebinth of Moreh?) 31 For you are now about to cross the Jordan to go to take possession of the land that Yahweh, your God, is giving to you, and you will take possession of it and live in it, 32 and you must diligently ⌊observe⌋ all the rules and the regulations that I am setting ⌊before you⌋ ⌊today⌋.”

W. Hall Harris III, Elliot Ritzema, et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Dt 11:24–32.