HEBAL. – Mountain (938 m) north of the valley of Sichem, where Joshua, after entering the Promised Land, erected stelae and inscribed on them a copy of the Law; there he also raised an altar, renewed the covenant among the tribes, and proclaimed the Blessings (Jos. 8:30–32). In the Samaritan Pentateuch, the name H. is tendentiously replaced with “Garizim,” in order to draw all sacred memories to this mountain and to have the place authenticated by Moses himself (Deut. 27:2–8). For the Samaritans, Mount H. is the mountain of curses (v. GARIZIM).
The present-day Arabic name (Gebel es-Slemijjeh) derives from a highly venerated cave where, it is said, the body of es-Slemijjeh was placed after being transported there through the air from Cairo.