Mount Gerizim is a significant biblical location prominently featured in the Old Testament. It is situated in the central region of ancient Israel, near the city of Shechem, in what is now the West Bank. Gerizim holds a pivotal role in the covenantal history of Israel as the "Mount of Blessing."

Biblical Significance

Mount Gerizim is first mentioned in the context of the blessings and curses pronounced by the Israelites upon entering the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 11:29 , Moses instructs the Israelites: "And when the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal." This directive underscores the mountain's role as a symbol of divine favor and obedience to God's commandments.

The formal ceremony of blessings and curses is detailed in Joshua 8:33-34 : "All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel. Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law."

Historical and Religious Context

Mount Gerizim's association with blessings is deeply rooted in its geographical and spiritual context. The mountain, along with Mount Ebal, frames the valley where Shechem is located, a site of considerable historical and religious importance. Shechem was a central gathering place for the tribes of Israel and a location where significant covenantal events occurred, including the renewal of the covenant under Joshua.

The Samaritans, an ethnoreligious group with historical ties to ancient Israel, regard Mount Gerizim as their sacred mountain. They believe it to be the true location chosen by God for His temple, as opposed to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. This belief is rooted in their interpretation of the Pentateuch and has been a point of religious divergence between Samaritans and Jews.

Archaeological and Cultural Insights

Archaeological excavations on Mount Gerizim have uncovered remains of a Samaritan temple, dating back to the Persian period, which aligns with the Samaritan tradition of the mountain's sanctity. The site has yielded numerous artifacts that provide insight into the religious practices and daily life of the Samaritan community.

Mount Gerizim continues to be a place of pilgrimage and religious observance for Samaritans, particularly during Passover, when they conduct traditional sacrifices on the mountain.

Theological Implications

Mount Gerizim's role as the "Mount of Blessing" serves as a powerful reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and His people. It emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's law as a pathway to receiving His blessings. The juxtaposition of Gerizim and Ebal, with their respective blessings and curses, illustrates the dual nature of the covenant and the choices set before the people of Israel.

In the New Testament, Mount Gerizim is indirectly referenced in the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:20 , where she mentions the mountain as a place of worship: "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem." This conversation highlights the enduring significance of Mount Gerizim in the religious consciousness of the Samaritans and its role in the broader narrative of worship and covenant.Deuteronomy 11:29
And it shall come to pass, when the LORD your God has brought you in to the land where you go to possess it, that you shall put the blessing on mount Gerizim, and the curse on mount Ebal.
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Deuteronomy 27:12
These shall stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:
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Joshua 8:33
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
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Jesus at the Well.
... Henceforth the Samaritans, claiming to be the children of Israel (Jacob), insisted
that Gerizim, the Mount of Blessing, was the place chosen by God for worship ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/jesus at the well.htm

The Wall Rebuilt.
... wife, was thrust out from the priesthood, and was received by the Samaritans, who
afterwards built a schismatical temple upon Gerizim, the Mount of Blessing. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xiv the wall rebuilt.htm

Effectual Calling
... with thankfulness! How should they stand upon Mount Gerizim, blessing and
praising God! Oh begin the work of heaven here! Such as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 effectual calling.htm

The Mercy of God
... Use four: Such as have found mercy are exhorted to three things. (1.) To
be upon Gerizim, the mount of blessing and praising. They ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/9 the mercy of god.htm

The Sermon on the Mount.
... The Sermon on the Mount. ... The blessing is not upon all that mourn (II. Cor. ... for as
long as sin lasts woes stand over against beatitudes as Ebal against Gerizim. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlii the sermon on the 2.htm

Jesus at the Well of Sychar
... when a Samaritan maintained that Gerizim was the mount of blessing, because it
was not covered by the Flood, quoting in proof Ezekiel 22:24. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii jesus at the.htm

The Last Judgment. By the Rev. John Welch, AD 1570-1622.
... And this is not the blessing of mount Gerizim, but that everlasting blessing which
the Judge of all the world shall pronounce out of his mouth, saying, "Ye ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /the last judgment by the.htm

At Jacob's Well
... He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing,""a well of ...
is the place where men ought to worship." Just in sight was Mount Gerizim. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 19 at jacobs well.htm

Entire Sanctification as Taught by John.
... He retained the blessing because he retained the Blesser ... that worship Him must do
so, not in any specific locality, such as Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim, and not ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter ix entire sanctification as.htm

Sin and Grace
... scene which was beheld over against mount Ebal, and over against mount Gerizim,
where one ... guile." Let the law curse as is may, the gospel's blessing is richer ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/sin and grace.htm

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