13/09/2026
The altar from Joshua 8 verses 30-35!
An Israeli archaeologist discovered a mysterious 3,300-year-old structure on Mount Ebal, believed to be Joshua’s Altar.
Around it were the bones of sheep, goats, and cattle, just as the Torah prescribed for sacrifice by the Cohanim, the Jewish priests. No bones of ritually impure animals, such as pigs or donkeys, were found. Nearby were Egyptian scarabs, seals, and jewelry dating to the biblical Exodus period.
As the excavation continued, the mystery deepened.
Professor Adam Zertal, of blessed memory, had been surveying the hills of Samaria with a team of volunteers when they came across the ancient structure. It was unlike anything they had expected to find.
The local rabbi of Shavei Shomron took an interest in the discovery. He opened a Mishnah containing a description of an ancient Israelite altar and asked Zertal whether it resembled the structure they had uncovered.
“Exactly like it,” Zertal replied.
The rabbi answered, “Then you’ve found Joshua’s Altar.”
The structure’s design closely matched the biblical description of an Israelite altar. The animal remains all came from species permitted for sacrifice, and radiocarbon dating placed the site in the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age, around 3,300 years ago.
Based on the archaeological evidence, Zertal concluded that the site was likely the altar built by Joshua after the Israelites entered the Land of Israel, as described in Joshua 8:30-35, where the nation gathered on Mount Ebal for the covenant ceremony.
Image credit: יונתן (שטובי) בלומנטל, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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