Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-03-16


to be in use now, for there are many springs and
shallow cisterns Though no wel) between this
and the town, which lies about mile and a
half off
Everybody knows that the Jews had no friend
ly dealings with the Samarltans in the time of
Jesus. The quarrel had then lasted above five
hundred years. How many suns had gone down
upon their wrath! The Samaritans had wished
to assist the Jews in rebuilding the temple of
Jerusalem; but the Jews hated them as mixed
race, and would not admit thatthey had any right
to share in temple worship, or any other Jewish
privileges 1t really was most serious objection
to the Samaratins, that they were of mixed
race not only because the Jews believed that
they held the promises on the very ground of the
purity of their race; but because the intermar
rlages Of the former Samaritan lsraelltes with
Assyrans or others disposed them to idoatry, or
at least to worship as mixed as their race SO
the Samaritans were excluded from the rebuild
ing of the temple, above five hundred years B.
G. And not being permitted to help, they did all
they could to hinder. About one hundred years
after, they obtained leave from the Persian Court
ito which both the Jews and they were subject)
to build a second temple to Jehovah and they
u
mpety in the sight of the Jews and it was the
occasion of number Of laX-mnded Jews, who
had broken the law, by marrying heather wives,
or otherwise, and who yet wished to worship Je-
hovah in his temple, resorting to Sychar, to loin
the Samarltans, and render their race yet more
mixed This was the quarrel which the woman
Of Samaria referred to when she spoke of the
question, whether "men ought to worship in this
mountain or in Jerusalem !" and thus explained
her wonder that Jesus, being Jew, should ask
water Of her, who was a Samaritan. There was
also quarrel about their scriptures; the Jews
insisting to this day, that the Samaritans had al
tered two or three texts, relating to these two
mountains, Ebal and Gerzm. in their own 81
cred copy of the books of Moses; the Samari-
tans insisting of course, that theirs was the true
copy.
From my early youth had always taken a
strong interest in this old quarrel, feeling sympa-
thy with both parties, and keen delight in the
wise and soothing words of Jesus concerning it.
What truth it was for both parties to hear, that
God was now to be worshpped everywhere; and
that all places were henceforth to be as sacred as
the Jerusalem temple, or the mountain at Sychar!
And what lesson in liberallty it was to the Jews
|
able, on account of his good works, above the
sacred priest and the servant ofthe temple at Je-
rusaIem Both parties were Of course. wrong in
their fierce anger; but each had much to plead
on his own side, The Jews were bound to keep
their race and worship pure; and held, as an es-
senta matter of faith, that Jehovah would have
but one dwelling place which was their view Of
the temple. And the Samartans were surely
right in persistng in their endeaor to worship
Jehovah, in accordance with the laws of Moses
as they did not believe in strange gods; and, il
the Jews could not admit them to worship in the
temple at Jerusalem they could not be blamed
for building one for themselves.
Such was always my view of the matter and
such being my view, it was with indesclibable
interest that | looked this day upon Mount Ger
Zm and remembered that somewhere in the CITY
we were approaching was treasured that sacred
copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch, Books o
Moses, which the possessors believe to be the
true one, and to be $500 years Old The most
learned men among the Christians do not believe
it to be nearly so old as that; but they have a
| high opinion of its value, and would follow il
sooner than any other, | believe, excepting in
stances where the disputed texts about Ebal and
Gerizm are concerned.
The present inhabitants of the city hate the
Christians as heartily as the cid inhabitants useC
to hate the Jews. The present inhabitants arc
Mohammedans Of most bigoted character; anC
they would admit neither Jews nor Christians
within their gates, till within few years; whel
the Government of the country (then Egyptian
compelled them to better manders They daret
not refuse us admission; but they behaved witt
great insolence. We had to ride from end t.
end of the city, our tents being pitched on
green OIL the other side. Our horses had to pc
as slowly as possible through the narrow street
which would not hold two abreast, and was Da-
we'd with large slippery stones. As we rode a
long, one behind another, at this funeral pace,
all the people came out to stare, and many t,
mock. Three times things were thrown in m,
face; men and women laughed and sneered. ant
children thrust out their tongues. felt what
a lesson this was to intolerance about matters O
opinion, These people hold faith which j.
very noble and beautiful, Few of us know how
noble and beautiful is the Mehommedan faith
And there is no need to say what their visitors
thought of the Christian faith, as they hold it
and yet, what a scene of hatred and misunder
standing was here! And thus il is, but too often
IN the streets OF other cities, where men ough
to know better than to despise each other fo
worshipping the same God in different manner
In the streets of other cities, men take upor
themselves to pity and despise one another
with no better knowledge in reality, of one an
others views and feelings, thon these Mohamme
dams had of ours, or we of theirs.
AT last, we were through and glad | was te
issue from the gate at the farther end But sac
sight awaited us there. A company of lep r.
were under the trees, crying out to US for CHAIR
ty, and stretching out their manned hands. Iii:
a terrible sight, which we see too often in tina
country 1t saddened US at Jerusalem, almos
every day.
Our tents were pitched on weedy plot O
ground, among gardens, orchards and ripping
streams, and looking up to EbaI on the one side
and Gerlzim on the other. Ebal is still the
sterner looking mountain of the two; but Geri-
zIm has lost much of its fertility. Both have
tombs and votve buildings in them, which show
them to have been places of pilgrimage.
A her dinner, we assembled height, past the
Mohammedan cemetery, whence we had fine
view, in the last sunlight, of this most beautiful
city 1t was once the capital of Samara; and
it is still, and must ever be, from its situation, a
,orv s,r;l.;pr pIaca II cop,nlotal, 6lIs al. -