God told Abraham to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a special sacrifice. Abraham was confused because God had promised to always be with Isaac (Genesis 17:19). But Abraham trusted God and was ready to do what God asked. Just in time, God showed Abraham a ram to use for the sacrifice instead of Isaac.
About a thousand years later at this same place, King David bought land from a man named Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar to stop a plague from spreading among the Israelites. After King David died, his son Solomon built a beautiful temple there to honor God. The Bible says,
“Then Solomon began to build the house of God in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where God had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” (2 Chronicles 3:1-2)
A group of people, known as Samaritans, think a different mountain, Mount Gerizim, is the special place God chose for Abraham. They have their own important traditions and believe this mountain is where God provided the ram for Abraham. What do you think: Is Mount Moriah located in Jerusalem, or is it Mount Gerizim?
