Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-09-18
THE NABLus sAMARITANs.
Something About the Oldest and Smallest
Sect In the World.


Something About the Oldest and Smallest
Sect In the World.
There is to be found in the heart of the
small city of Nablus, in North Palestine, a
little religious community-now numbering
about one hundred and fifty souls, which
has defied the ravages of war and poverty
and 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 dew
astating armies have marched back and
forth from the time OF Sargon to Napoleon.
But, writes Rev. DR.. John F. Hurst in Har-
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
| 1900, the little Samaritan community is
almost absorbed by the surrounding Mo
hammedan mass. Save to careful OBJ
server the very existence and presence Of
the Samaritans as distinct element of
citizenship in Nablus would not be noticed.
| The 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
| positive resemblance.
The Samaritan synagogue is small
building In the center of Nablus, half OBJ
scured by the surrounding dwellings.
passed through arched and Uttered streets
to little court, in the middle of which was
| a lifflo rlIo of 49,
trees, two of which were lemon. here
found a 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 youth of about
fourteen, the son of Amram, the high priest
was greatly disappointed at failing to,find
Amram himself, but in the end this circum-
stance aided me in my chief object, for the
young man was willing, for good fee, to
show me the ancient Pentateuch. His
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 ira
dltlon, and by the opinion of some learned
men OF the present time in Christian coun-
tries But the weight of internal evidence is
against it-among which may be mentioned
grammatical emendations, late CLOSES
in the text, insertions of foreign passages.
alterations, Samaritanisms, and changes in
support Of Samaritan doctrine
There are three codices kept in the little
synagogue in Nablus. two being generally
shown to strangers. It is very rarely that
the veritable one can be seen Nv good
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
9 After the removal of the red satin cover
0 saw that the codex was inclosed In 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
q is OF rich workmanship. It is about tws
!. feet and half long and nearly foot il
q diameter, and presents, in exquisitely raised
= work, good plan Of the Tabernacle
4 with every part given with the ut
], most minuteness and rarest skill. Tn,
< roll consists of dingy skins-prepared be
. fore the invention Of northumberland to
I gether with neat stitches, and worn an,
!, patched, and here and there entirely iIlegi
. BILE. The skins are of equal size. ans
o measure each twenty-five inches long ant
z fifteen wide
t Before leaving Nablus had the opportu
b nifty Of spending an evening with Amran
& 1t his own house. He lived in the creates
{ simplicity, though in Palestine that is til,
y rule rather than the exception. Mrs. z
9 Karey, the wifeof the missionary in Nabln