THE VILLAGE OF ASKAR, ANCIENT SYCHAR 



Just behind the village is Jacob's well. The mountain in the background is Gerizim, 

 while the mosque on its summit marks the site of the Samaritan temple to which, no doubt, 

 the Samaritan woman pointed when conversing with Jesus. 



During the period of the Judges little of 

 importance is heard of Mount Ephraim, 

 except that Ahimelech, son of Gideon by 

 a Shechemite concubine, was made "King" 

 of Shechem, and ruled three years. 



With the advent of David came the 

 Golden Age of the Hebrews. The capi- 

 tal was moved to Jerusalem, where, upon 

 his succession, Solomon built the re- 

 nowned Temple and established thereby 

 a center of worship. 



But this unified kingdom was short- 



lived, and with the death of Solomon, his 

 son, Rehoboam, proceeded to Shechem, 

 where all Israel was gathered to make him 

 king. Instead of this being consummated, 

 ten tribes revolted and made Jeroboam, 

 an attache of Solomon's court, king. Jero- 

 boam selected Shechem as his home. 

 Thus the northern ten tribes established 

 the Kingdom of Israel, now forever rent 

 from the Kingdom of Judah, which was 

 composed of the two remaining tribes, 

 Judah and Benjamin. 



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