Show prosperous CITY OF EAST ST shechem Bh echem or as a it Is now called site of impressive impress ve scones scene in biblical history motor A prosperous oriental city nestled in a fertile valley between two mountains and surrounded by gardens arid and olive groves shechem or as it Is now a ow called occupies the site of 0 some or of the most impressive scenes in bible history says the christian herald here abraham pitched ills his tent arid and made the first stopping place in his migration edthe to the country of 0 which the lord said unto thy seed will I 1 sive ive this land here joseph divided the israelites ra elites into two hosts one ot of which encamped on the slope lope of mount ebal on the north and the other on the slope alope of mount on the south while the levites read the law ot of moses whim was to be the constitution of the infant nation She shechem chern seems to have been a sort of capital for the hebrew nation even after david had bad established his bis residence at jerusalem aa we road in I 1 kings 12 abit that all israel assembled Rem bled at Slie shechem chein to crown ilehr boam the separatist elements of the nation sought to legitimatize their acts by making She shechem chent a temporary capital although the residence of the northern kings was wag established at a point about six elx miles northwest and called samaria Samar lii shechem is nowhere mentioned by name came in the new testament though either it or suburb appears in john 45 under the name of sachar and it was was here at jacobs well that the samaritan woman met diet christ and first heard the message of his universal gospel jacobs well Is still pointed but out and Is almost the only undisputed landmark of our lords earthly life the city now contains about inhabitants contains a small colony of about persons who claim to be the descendants of the israelites of the northern kingdom they accept only the five books of moses as being of divine authority and hold mount to be the seat of their religion instead of jerusalem |