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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

IntroIndex©

SHECHEM, Tower of

Fortress erected on the acropolis of Shechem, housing the temple of Baal-berith and situated inside the city walls. The city of Shechem was located in the hill country of the tribe of Ephraim near Mt Gerizim.

The tower of Shechem served as the citadel to which the leaders of Shechem fled from the onslaught of Abimelech. They sought refuge in the inner chamber of the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech, however, set the upper parts of the inner chamber on fire, killing all the men and women housed within (Jgs 9:46-49).

The remnants of the tower of Shechem have been found within the ancient town of Shechem at Tell Bala’ta, a short distance northeast of modern Nablus in central Palestine. Modern excavations show that the tower of Shechem was used as a temple and a fortress.