ebal

     

Mount Ebal (Arabic: جبل عيبال‎ Hebrew: הר עיבל‎)is one of the two mountains in the immeiate vicinity of the West Bank city of Nablus (Biblical Shechem), and forms the northern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the southern side being formed by Mount Gerizim. The mountain is one of the highest peaks in the West Bank, as well as being higher than most mountain peaks in Israel, and rises to 3084 feet (940 meters) above sea level, some 194 feet (59 meters) higher than Mount Gezirim. Mount Ebal is approximately 6.5 square miles (18 square kilometers) in area, and is composed primarily of limestone. The slopes of the mountain contain several large caverns which were probably originally quarries, and at the base towards the north are several tombs.