SICHEM (Hebr. Šēhhem “nape”; Gr. Συχέμ or Σύχημα). — An ancient city of Palestine in the center of the tribe of Ephraim, between Mounts Hebal and Garizim (Iudc. 9:7), like the “nape” upon two powerful shoulders.
By the “oak of Mōreh,” Abraham erected an altar, and in a vision there received the promise of the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:6); Jacob, beneath the same tree, concealed the idolatrous objects (v. THERAPHIM) of his caravan; there he erected an altar and acquired land, where Joseph was later buried (Gen. 33:18-20; Ios. 24:32). Jacob’s sons, Levi and Simeon, there avenged the honor of their sister Dinah, violated by Sichem, son of Hemor, a local prince (Gen. 34).
In the 14th century B.C. Šāhmi (letter 289 of Tell el-‘Amārnah)
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was under Egyptian control. At the beginning of the Israelite conquest, Joshua held there a solemn assembly of all 12 tribes (Jos. 8:30), and the covenant of alliance was confirmed and renewed there (ibid. 24:1); it was among the Levitical and refuge cities (ibid. 20:21). At the time of the Judges, there was still in the city a temple to Ba’al bèrtth (Judc. 8:33; 9:4), from whose treasury Abimelech took the money with which to enlist supporters for his political designs (ibid. 9:2-6); and, because of the hostility of the Sichemites, he marched against the city and destroyed it (ibid. 9:23-45). Rebuilt, it probably became the residence of the prefect “of the mountain of Ephraim” (I Reg. 4:8). After the schism of the Kingdom, S. was the capital of Ieroboam (ibid. 12:1-9,25), and remained a sacred city for the Samaritans (v.). Destroyed by Giovanni Ircano in 128 B.C., it was reduced to a small village and confused by ecclesiastical and Jewish writers with the city of Flavia Neapolis (= Nâbulus), founded farther north in the time of Vespasian.
The excavations of 1913-14, 1926, 1928, and 1934 established that S. corresponds to present-day Tell Balâtah, 5 km. southeast of Nâbulus. The city already existed around 2000 B.C.; protected by a sturdy wall of stone and brick, it was further strengthened by the Hyksos. Around 1000 it was provided with another great wall of cyclopean masonry, a section of which, approximately 10 m. high, is still visible, with a triple-jaw gate toward the northeast, flanked by towers. On an embankment (millâ), situated between the thicknesses of the first enclosure to the northwest, the acropolis (bèth millâ; Judc. 9:6,20) was built; it probably included the temple of Ba’al bèrtth (ibid. 9:4). A large deposit of bronze weapons, Egyptian scarabs, two cuneiform tablets, figurines, and vessels attests to the period of Egyptian sovereignty.