Shechem
Shechem (/ˈʃɛkəm/ SHEK-əm; Hebrew: שְׁכֶם, romanized: Šəḵem; Samaritan Hebrew: ࠔࠬࠥࠊࠝࠌ, romanized: Šăkēm), also spelled Sichem (/ˈsɪkəm/ SIK-əm; Ancient Greek: Συχέμ, romanized: Sykhém) was an ancient city in the southern Levant. Mentioned as a Canaanite city in the Amarna Letters, it later appears in the Hebrew Bible as the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel following the split of the United Monarchy. According to Joshua 21:20–21, it was located in the tribal territorial allotment of the tribe of Ephraim. Shechem declined after the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The city later regained its importance as a prominent Samaritan center during the Hellenistic period.
שְׁכֶם | |
Archaeological site of Tell Balata, identified with ancient Shechem | |
Shechem Location within the West Bank Shechem Location within the Eastern Mediterranean | |
| Alternative name | Sichem |
|---|---|
| Location | Tell Balatah, West Bank |
| Region | Southern Levant |
| Coordinates | 32.213618°N 35.281993°E |
| Type | Capital city |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 1900 BCE |
| Abandoned | 67 CE (destroyed) |
| Associated with | Canaanites, Israelites, Samaritans |
Traditionally associated with the city of Nablus, Shechem is now identified with the nearby site of Tell Balata in the Balata al-Balad suburb of Palestine’s West Bank.