After our exploration of the archaeological park at Mount Gerizim we had the idea that it would be VERY COOL to also visit Mount Ebal where Joshua built an altar of fieldstones as commanded by God through Moses – they do go together in the Biblical text, the Mount of Blessings and Mount of Curses (see Deuteronomy 27, chapters ראה and כי תבוא and Book of Joshua 8:30-34). So that evening I sat down at the computer to figure out how we could do it. But whereas Mount Gerizim is part of the Israeli Parks Authority, Mount Ebal is something completely different — hiking in this area of Samaria requires mandatory coordination and an armed IDF escort for security which should be arranged through the field school at Shavei Shomron who can also help with logistics. So I checked the field school website and by chance there was a hike planned to Mount Ebal in 2 days time and Alan & I did it.
Day 1: Kabir to the Roof of Ebal
The Big Drop: Launching from Mount Kabir, at 792 meters hikers undergo a striking, tech-heavy descent dropping over 550 vertical meters into the limestone fault lines of the Tirzah watershed.
The Oasis: Bidan Springs serves as a lush canyon baseline. The route snakes through local concrete aqueduct lines where you can stand directly underneath chilly mountain cascades.
The Wall: From the pools, you face a brutal 700-vertical-meter wall climbing up Ebal’s northern flanks. You will pass the massive stone layout of an Iron Age 1 structure Joshua’s Altar discovered by ָAdam Zertal in his comprehensive survey in 1980 and subsequent excavations over 8 seasons.
Zertal’s excavations uncovered a ramp leading up to a square altar, a surrounding enclosure, and deep ash layers containing the burnt bones of kosher animals, as outlined in the Biblical and Mishnaic descriptions of an Israelite altar. Pottery discovered at the site was dated to the time of Joshua. Additionally, two ancient Egyptian scarabs were found from the time of Ramses II, who most historians agree was the Pharoah of the Exodus.
From there we continued climbing to 940 m to reach the wind-whipped military outpost and campsite on the ridge.
Day 2: Ridge-lines, Fire, and Valleys
Nablus Views & Pines: Wake up to birds-eye lookouts straight down into the historical Shechem valley. The route plunges off the high limestone cliffs into the shaded, peaceful pine trails of the British Forest.
The Elijah Monument: The trail climbs up a lonely, wind-swept peak to reach Khirbet esh-Sheikh Sha’aleh at 714m.
Here, hikers can explore Byzantine stone barrel-vault chambers and Crusader architectural ruins. The hill is riddled with rock-cut features, including massive water cisterns, underground grain silos, and complex agricultural presses (olive and wine) cut directly into the mountain bedrock. Local traditions link the Arabic name of the ruin (Sha’aleh “The Flame”) to the scriptural events of 2 Kings 1-17, where the prophet Elijah famously called down supernatural fire from heaven that consumed the military captain and his 50 men sent twice by King Ahaziah of Samaria.
13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!” 15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
To the Finish: The trail breaks down into the open valley floor, guiding hikers through old olive groves for a cool swim in the deep stone pool of Ein al-Harun 345m, before one last brief uphill finish to the field school at Shavei Shomron.
Expedition Summary Statistics
- Total Cumulative Distance: ~36.5 Kilometers (22.7 Miles)
- Total Walking Time: 16 to 19 Hours
- Overall Elevation Change: ~1,750m Ascent (Day 1) | ~480m Descent (Day 2)