Heavy equipment carved a road toward an ancient altar site on biblical Mount Ebal on Oct. 29 before Jewish residents intervened, halting work near a location where earlier construction had already reduced historic stones to gravel, Israel365 News reported.
Residents of Mitzpe Yehoshua alerted a nearby security coordinator and the Israeli military before approaching the construction site. Equipment operators fled toward Shechem, also known as Nablus, leaving behind a vehicle that was confiscated, according to the report.
The residents accused the Palestinian Authority of reviving a road project aimed at reaching the archaeological site. One resident quoted by Israel365 News described the activity as an effort at “trying to revive its plan to take control of the site of Joshua’s Altar.”
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Mount Ebal stands at the center of a pivotal biblical account. Moses commanded the Israelites to build an altar there after crossing the Jordan River. Joshua 8 records Joshua carrying out that command.
Archaeologist Adam Zertal discovered the stone structure in 1980 and identified it as Joshua’s altar after excavations uncovered evidence including thousands of animal bones. Archaeologists continue to debate that identification.
The threat to the surrounding ruins has a documented history, according to Israel365 News. In 2021, a PA contractor destroyed approximately 60 meters of an ancient outer wall, crushing its stones for road construction.
Further development plans prompted protests in 2023. During a visit that year, Israeli National Missions Minister Orit Strock accused the PA of committing “one of the most serious crimes, which is the destruction of heritage,” the outlet reported.
The residents’ determination also carries the weight of a recent killing.
Benayahu Melet, 32, a father of two who had opposed the road project, was killed July 24 while defending Jewish hikers from a Palestinian terrorist attack, according to the report. Residents subsequently established Mitzpe Yehoshua beside the altar, seeking a permanent presence to prevent further construction.
The site lies in Area B of Judea and Samaria, where the PA holds civilian control and Israel retains security control.
On the mountain where Scripture records an altar built from uncut stones, residents are now confronting machinery capable of grinding ancient stones into road fill.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
