Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 31:4 (Dec 1988)
Article: The Ebal Ceremony As Hebrew Land Grant?
Author: Andrew E. Hill

JETS 31:4 (December 1988) p. 399

The Ebal Ceremony As Hebrew Land Grant?

Andrew E. Hill*

The nature and purpose of the Mount Ebal ceremony described in Deuteronomy 27 has remained problematic for Biblical interpreters, this despite the long-standing recognition of features of ancient Near Eastern covenant structure within the book itself.1 The present brief study seeks to relate the Ebal ceremony to known ancient Near Eastern treaty forms and the acknowledged covenant structure of Deuteronomy. My purpose is not only to offer an alternative form-critical explanation for the placement of the Ebal traditions prior to the blessing/curse formulae of Deuteronomy 28–30 in light of this comparative literary analysis but also to demonstrate its function as a vital component in the post-exodus, pre-conquest Israelite covenant-renewal experience as understood by the Deuteronomist in the broader Hexateuchal narrative structure.

The Ebal ritual outlined in Deut 27:1–26 is usually assumed to be a composite of cultic traditions associated with the ancient site of Shechem and is generally regarded as an interruption of the Deuteronomic history because it disrupts the natural flow of thought and language between the concluding stipulations of chap. 26 and the introduction of the blessing/curse theology of chap. 28. Specific items cited to evidence disjunction in the text at this point include the reference to Moses in the third person in the section (27:1–14) and the mention of the curses (27:15–26) minus their complementary blessings. Moreover the unity of the entire chapter is questioned due to the doublets in 27:2–3a and 27:3b–8 (marking out parallel versions of the account) and the reference to Levi as a participating tribe in 27:1–13 while in 27:14–26 Levi is understood to be a religious order in charge of reciting the liturgy. Also the curses in 27:15–26

*Andrew Hill is assistant professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Illinois.

JETS 31:4 (December 1988) p. 400

are unconditional and fall upon the individual, whereas the curses in chap. 28 are national in nature and conditional based upon Israel’s disobedience.2

Apart from thos...