Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-03
GOOD SAMAR|TANS
RAPIDLY DW|NDL|NG
BY JJNIUS b. WOOD
Especial Correspondence of the Chic


NABLUS, Palestine.-Never hav-
ing seen any bona fide Samaritans,
I motored over the parched, rock
strewn hills from Jerusalem today
to see all that remains Of the power
full race sent from Babylon twenty
five centuries ago to populate the
Holy Land. BY much arduous ques-
tioning I elected the information
that today there are only 1856 real
Samaritans-men, women and chill
dren. The high priest said that dur
ing the war fifty were conscripted.
by the Turks and never returned.
thus indicated rather weakens the
priests reliability as a statistician.
He was insistent, too, that the tribe
was increasing, rather than dying
out, since it had only sixty members
200 years ago.
The Samaritans assert that they
are the real Jews, the only chosen
people, and that they alone are priv
LEGGED to enter the kingdom of heav-
en-. However, as heaven is consider
ed to be quite commodious and since
recently the Samaritans have learn
ed that there are several billion
other persons in this world-the
high priest has made three trips to
London and is the only one, except
the soldiers who did not return, to
leave Nablus-they now agree that
the worthy in the rest of the world
may enter paradise as their servi-
tors. Being good to them in this
world is the chief requisite for a
mental job. I contributed 10 piasters
(46 cents, which, judging from the
small number Of visitors to Nablus,
ought to assure me of a chief clerk
ship, at least.
A Lecture on the Roof
The Samaritan high priest, Jacob
Aaron, and his brother, Isaac, both
distinguished by the Samaritan pur-
pie turbans and the latter by the
most luxuriant crop of whiskers in
Palestine, were at the hotel before
1 had finished lunch. They were
quarter, one of the least prosperous
corners of the town nesting at the
base of the mountain. Through de-
ViOuS streets, many of them long
dark arehed tunnels under the build
ings, we reached a wooden gate,
climbed some stone steps and were
in a little ten by twelve court-the
world center of the Samaritans.
won't you come into our house,
please" a soft, girlish voice invited
from one of the roofs surrounding
the court However, the fringe OF
black ivy-like tendrils around the face
from which that voice issued dis
PEELED all romance-it was the high
priests son, Abou II Hasan, who
had spoken. He learned English IN
perhaps too quickly for the sweet
voiced siX-footer, for he was busily
cutting his barefoot sister with a
slipper to hasten her flight from the
living room. She was a pretty girl
Of twenty, but that was the last L
saw of her, though the two younger
sisters did do some peeking.
The high priests brother started
a lecture. 1t was as amending as an
automatic piano filled with n1ckels.
Only by my shouting could he be,
halted occasionally to answer a
question. Since the war, he told
me, there are twenty more men than
women. There is no chance, how
ever, of becoming a Samaritan by
marriage, as intermarriage among
their dWindling numbers is one OF
their stricteSt customs. The high
priests Office is hereditary. They do
not approve Of ZioniSm or of other
Jews, but consider all others apOs,
tate. They have a language and a
script Of their own, alleged to be the
same as in the time of Solomon, but
they speak Arabic for local necessi-
ties. AS NabluS is fanatically Mos
lem and even the Zionists have re-
Trained from locating any Of their
people or even lavish policemen in
that district, the Samaritans still
are unmolested.
Bible From Moses Time
The Bible in the little bare stone
temple, with a single chair, is their
chief exhibit. But the willy Samari-
tans have two Bibles, one a COM
paratively modern work, which they
prefer to exhibit to be paved over
by casual visitors. The one I saw
was in a round brass case, opening
on two hinges, bound in green bro
cade and rolling on two sticks mount
ed with large bEass handles. The lee.
turer said it was written thirteen
years after Moses, and this year is
2,57S years old. After being handled
that long it is in a remarkable state
of preservation. The high priests
father translated it's dead Hebrew
script into Arabic and the Rev. Will
liam E. Barton, of Oak Park, ILL.,, had
it translated and published in an
English pamphlet which Abou ii
Hasan explained is sold in Chicago
for 25 cents. He said the brass cover
was 500 years old, explained the de-
signs of the temple and symbols on
the back section and offered to sell
a replica in colored crayons done by
him.
The trio consented to be photo.
graphed. When they were marshal
ed on another roof a fourth veneer
able with a sparse white beard join
ed the group. Evidently no Samari-
tan has ever become a barber. Abou
Ell Hasans gentle voice suggested
that a cash contribution would be
proper for the Photographic priv
iIeges. The hills of NabIus encourage
an architecture where the roof of
one house serves as a courtyard for
it's higher neighbor. A red-haired
Samaritan matron with a fat white
naked baby and stouter black
haired girl came down the steps to
watch the picture taking. I suggest
ed a photograph Of the fair Samari-
tans. Abou asked them and they
said their husbands might be angry.
Anyway there was a more generous
display of neck and breast than is
approved by puritanical postal in
spectors and the film was not vast
ed. The Samaritan women wear
wells as Mnslenns hecausa of custom