excerpt from The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 1
David Noel Freedman, editor in chief
(NY:Doubleday, 1992), p. 166.
Also dated to the early Iron Age is an installation located on Mt. Ebal near ancient Shechem (Zertal 1985, 1988).
This installation has been connected to the altar described in Joshua 8:30-35 by the excavator. Others have claimed that the ruins are a house/watchtower (Kempinski 1986).
The main structure is approximately 9 by 7m and is preserved to a height of 3.27m. It contains a fill of pottery, ash, and bones. According to the excavator, the structure is approached by ramps, one of which is 1.2m wide.
The structure is surrounded by an inner courtyard which contains numerous "installations" with ash, animal bones, or clay vessels. The entire area is surrounded by an enclosure wall (250 by 52m).
The "altar" complex was preceded by a circular stone structure (2m diameter) also filled with ash and bones.
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