Mounts Ebal and Gerizim are two rugged mountains that face each other
in Samaria. When the Israelites advanced thus far, they remembered the
words of Moses. Joshua built the altar as directed, on which he
offered sacrifices to God, and wrote a copy of the law upon it. All
Israel stood, "half of them over against Mount Gerizim, and half of
them over against Mount Ebal," and Joshua read all the words of the
law, "the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in
the book of the law." Then the loud voices of the Levites were heard
from the mountain sides, declaring, in the hearing of all the people,
the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, as God
had commanded.
[Illustration: THE ALTAR ON MOUNT EBAL.]
THE CITIES OF REFUGE.
Revenge is contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ, "If thine enemy
hunger, feed him," says the Saviour; but among the Israelites and
other eastern nations a different practice prevailed. If one slew
another, the kinsman of him that was slain felt bound to avenge his
relative, and to slay him that had done the deed. Sometimes people
were killed by accident, when it was clearly unjust that he who had
unwittingly killed another should be slain. To guard against the
innocent thus suffering, God commanded that "cities of refuge" should
be appointed, to which the slayer might flee, "which killeth any
person at unawares.
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