When Did the Ceremony on Mt. Eival Occur/2

When Was the Ceremony on Mt. Eival?

Exegetical Approaches

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Before the Conquest

The ceremony at Mt. Eival took place on the same day that the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered Israel.

Sources:Tosefta SotahSotah 8:6-7About the Tosefta, R. Yehuda and R. Eliezer in Yerushalmi SotahSotah 7:3About the Yerushalmi, Bavli SotahSotah 35bSotah 36aAbout the Bavli, RashiDevarim 27:2Yehoshua 4:3-9, 20Yehoshua 8:30-33About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Yosef KaraYehoshua 8:30-33About R. Yosef Kara, RadakYehoshua 8:30-35About R. David Kimchi, R. BachyaDevarim 27:1-3About R. Bachya b. Asher, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahDevarim 27:2About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, Rav Hirsch

Chronology of the chapters – These commentators all maintain that the event is not recorded in its chronological place (which would have been in Chapter 4) but do not explain the reason for the achronology.

"בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן" – According to this approach, the word "בַּיּוֹם" is understood literally to refer to the very same day that the nation crossed the Jordan River.  It is this directive (and the statement that Yehoshua acted as commanded by Moshe) which motivates them to posit that Yehoshua must not have waited before setting up the ceremony.

Relationship between Devarim 8:1-3 and 8: 4-8

How many stones?

Purpose of ceremony

Where is Har Eival?

How did they get to Mt. Eival? This position must explain how the entire nation (including children)¹ could have traveled all the way from Gilgal to Mt. Eival (and back) in one day.  They offer two solutions:

• Miracle – Tosefta Sotah places Mt. Eival near Shekhem, but asserts that Hashem miraculously brought the nation there.
• Different Mountain– R. Eliezer, instead, maintains that the verses refer not to Mt. Eival which is near Shekhem, but to two mountains that are close to the Jordan

Mid-Conquest

The nation went to Mt. Eival after defeating the Ai and gaining access to the vicinity.

Sources:Ralbag?, AbarbanelDevarim 27:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, ?shadal?

After the Conquest

The Israelites first performed the ceremony after the 14 years of conquest and inheritance.

Sources:JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 5:1:19About Josephus, R. Yishmael in Yerushalmi SotahSotah 7:3About the Yerushalmi

Two Stages

The nation fulfilled Moshe's command in two stages.  Though the first stage took place immediately after entry into Israel, the completed ceremony only occurred later.

¹ See Yehoshua 8:35, which speaks of the all inclusive nature of the ceremony (כׇּל קְהַל" "יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַגֵּר הַהֹלֵךְ בְּקִרְבָּם)