Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-20
THE NABLUS SAMARITANS,
Something About the Oldest and Smallest
 Soct in the World.

AhOI0 ID tO Dc 1OuuQ ID the ncarC or t00 small city of Nablus, in North Palestine, a little religious community-now numbering about one hundred and fifty souls, which has detied the ravages of war and poverty ana oppression nearly three thousand years. Unlike the Vaudois, these Samari- tans have had no friendly system of mount ain buttresses to defend them through the centuries; and, still more unlike the long, lived Savoyard Protestants, they have been right in the pathway along which the dev- astating armies have marched back and forth from the time of Sargon to Napoleon. But, writes Rev. Dr. John F. Hurst in Rar- per's Magazine, they have lived on, and their unity has never been broken. They have chung to little Nablus and to their sacred Mount Gerizim, as the very cactus roots to the granite sides of the somber Ebal that confronts them across theil little enchanted valley.
 As the population of Nablus is Just about 12,OOO the little Samaritan community is almost absorbed by the surrounding Mo nammedan mass. Save to a careful ob- server the very existence and presence of the Samaritans as a distinct element of citizenship in Nablus would not be noticed Tho Samaritans wear a turban much like that of their true Moslem neighbors, but between the history and theology of the two classes there is not single point of pOSltlV6 reSemDlance.
 The Samaritan synagogue is a small building in the center of Nablus, half ob- scured by the surrounding dwellings. I passed through arched and filtered streets to 8 little court, in the middle of which was l little plot of grass, relieved by three trees, two of which were lemon. I here | found little Samaritan school, and at the sight of stranger the children sprang from the floor where they were sitting, ] kissed my hand, and begged for back sheesh. The teacher was a youth of about 1 fourteen, the son of Amram, the high priest. | was greatly disappointed at failing to find | Amram himself, but in the end this circum- l stance aided me in my chief object, for the young man was willing, for Q good fee, to | show me the ancient Pentateuch. His l father might have been deaf to all en- treaties.
 The claim of the Samaritans to have a copy of the Pentateuch older than the Jew | ish is supported by their own unbroken tra- ] dition, and by the opinion of some learned ! men of the present time in Christian coun-
 tries. But the weight of internal evidenceis
 against it-among which may be mentioned grammatical cancellations, late glosses
 in the text, insertions of foreign passages, l alterations, Samaritanisms, and changes in support of Samaritan doctrine.
 | There arc three codices kept in the little
 synagogue in Nablus, two being generally 1 shown to strangers. It is very rarely that
 the veritable one can be seen. My good l fortune in getting hasty look at it was due to the venturous and avaricious spirit ! of Amram's son, rather than to any man. agement of my own. Having first ex-
 hibited the two limitations, the young man, upon the offer of an additional fee, then
 brought out the original scroll from chest.
 After the removal of the red satin cover ! saw that the codex was inclosed Ill a silver
 cylindrical case, which had two doors open
 ing on two sets of hinges. When these
 doors were thrown back the whole column
 was exposed to the vision. This cylinder
 is of rich workmanship. It is about two feet and a half long and nearly a foot in
 diameter, and presents, in exquiSitely raised work, a good plan of the Tabernacle, | with every part given with the ut most minuteness and rarest skill. The l roll consists of dingy skins-prepared be- fore the invention of parchment-sewed to- gether with neat stitches, and worn and patched, and here and there entirely illegi-
 ble. The skins are of equal size, and
 measure each twenty-five inches long and fifteen wide.
 Before leaving Nablus had the opportu-
 nity of spending an evening with Amram | at his own house. He lived in the greatest
 simplicity, though in Palestine that is the
 rule rather than the exception. Mrs. Ell
 Karey, the wife of the missionary in Nablus
 in the employment of the Church Mission ary Society of London, was good enough to
 accompany me and serve as interpreter. The venerable high priest, who was bare-
 footed, and clad Ill a great turban and loose flowing robe, received us with calm and dignifed cordiality in his room-at once his parlor, dining room and bedroom. His very aged mother was lying on the floor, covered | with bed-clothing and asleep. There were
 several children, half asleep, Iy1ng about
 the room. Amram's son-in-law was slowly copying Pentateuch-for the Samaritans
 have no printing press. Itrequires year
 to make copy, which is never sold, and is only used by the community.
 The peculiar views of Amram may be
 said to represent very fairly the theology
 of his dying community. The world, he
 claimed, is about seven thousand years old. For fifty-fve years men will go on increas- ing in wickedness, after which there will come time of great peace and purity.
 Then there will come on a new period of
 consummate wickedness, which will last three hundred years. This time will be con-
 summated by the total destruction of the
 world. After this the general judgment
 will take place, when the righteous will go tolive with God and the wicked with Satan.
 There are some people who have clean hearts, or at least are accepted as clean,
 though none are absolutely pure. Just here Amram looked of, as if fn the distance, and
 said: 'God is one!'' Here he intended
 a slight thrust at all Christians, because of
 their emphasis on Christ and His divine
 character.
 He spoke with interest of the ruins on
 Mount Gerizim, and of the increase of his
 community within the last thirty years. He closed by expressing his firm belief that the time would come when the Samaritans
 would be the most numerous body in the world.
 Amram has since died, and the sedate ! son-in-law, being the eldest male relative has succeeded him in the high priesthood. (| Superintendent of Weddings. The newest occupation for women is said to be that of superintendent of weddings The superintendent, who is usually young } ish woman, is installed in the house of the bride to be some little Sime before the cere