The Beauty and Faith of Elon Moreh
Tuesday, July 4th, 2006by Prof. Eugene Narrett - copyright 2006
Sivan 5766
Elon Moreh is one of the first Jewish re-settlements in the mountains of the Shomron (โSamariaโ?). Astride the peaks and high ridges of Mt. Gvir (itโs usually written โKabirโ on maps today), it overlooks the Tirtzah valley and plains of Moreh in which sprawls Nablus, built over the ancient Jewish city of Shechem and now a site of nightly terrorism and counter-terrorist preemption. Across the valley and its branches loom the slopes and summits of Mounts Gerizim and Ebal where the Children of Israel stood after they built an altar on Mt. Ebal and their massive host joined Joshua in reciting the blessings and prohibitions as Moshe had instructed (Deuteronomy 27; Joshua 8:30-5). To the south is Mt. Bracha where vineyards and groves of olives and almonds shelter the paratroops that bolster the self-defense capabilities of the Jewish towns.
I visited the town and outposts of Elon Moreh during the last week of May and ten days later, for the festival and following Sabbath of Shavuot. It was unforgettably vivid to share life with these brave and gracious people living on the frontlines amid mountain โ valley vistas of great beauty and historical resonance. The excavated site of the altar of Joshua on a lower plateau toward the northern end of Mt. Ebal is clearly visible from many homes. Above the altar, on the top of the three-humped ridge of Ebal are the electronic detection towers of the IDF, reminders of the constant vigilance by which the Jews sustain themselves in their embattled land.
