mount gerizim 
 
 The One True Sanctuary 
 
 By JACOB, SON OF AARON 
 
 HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS 
 
 TRANSLATED BY ABDULLAH BEN KORI 
 PROFESSOR IN PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 
 FOREST GROVE, OREGON 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 WILLIAM E. BARTON, D.D. 
 
CONCERNING SAMARITAN MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
 The Samaritan priests, appreciating the interest of American and 
 European Christians, are now willing to sell to them accurate modern 
 copies of the ancient books of the Samaritan religion. I think it well, 
 however, to warn intending purchasers, that not all the copies offered 
 for sale, even in Nablus, are accurate. Some people of little learning, 
 relying on the ignorance of tourists, have made garbled copies of our 
 Torah, and sold them to tourists or correspondents. Manuscripts pur- 
 chased at our Synagogue, from myself or my sons, will be certified as 
 complete and correct. Several recent purchasers have sent their man- 
 uscripts to me for inspection, and I have been sorry not to be able to 
 certify to their correctness. It grieves us to have our Law incorrectly 
 copied. I request my friend, Dr. Barton, to make this statement to 
 intending purchasers. We desire that such copies of our sacred books 
 as go forth into Christian libraries shall be accurate. Any manuscript 
 purchased in our Synagogue, and bearing my seal, is genuine and 
 complete. 
 
 Jacob, Son of Aaron, High Priest of the Samaritans. 
 
 Samaritan Synagogue, Nablus, Palestine. 
 
iUnrntt (Smztm, the (0tte ®nte Sanctuary 
 
 BY 
 
 JACOB, SON OF AARON 
 
 HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE ARABIC 
 BY PROFESSOR ABDULLAH BEN KORI 
 Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 REV. WILLIAM E. BARTON, D.D. 
 OAK PARK, ILLINOIS 
 
 BY THE COURTESY OF THE EDITOR 
 Reprinted from the Bibliotheca Sacra for July, 1907 
 
 OAK PARK, ILLINOIS 
 THE PURITAN PRESS 
 

 
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 MOUNT GERIZIM THE ONE TRUE SANCTUARY. 
 
 BY JACOB, SON OF AARON, HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS AT 
 
 SHECHEM . 1 
 
 INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 
 
 The following remarkable paper is by the present High Priest of 
 the , Samaritan religion. It is the living utterance of a sect almost 
 forgotten, and remembered by the world only in connection with its 
 relations, first with the Jews, and afterward with the ministry of 
 Jesus. Through these sources we know that the Samaritans have 
 held throughout the ages a weary and profitless controversy con- 
 cerning the authorized place, of worship. The pilgrim to Jerusalem 
 looses the shoes from off his feet in reverence for that ancient holy 
 place, and casts a curious glance at Gerizim as he rests by Jacob’s 
 well, and thinks of it as a shrine established by the excommuni- 
 cated priest Manasseh and his father-in-law Sanballat in the time 
 of Nehemiah. 
 
 Against this judgment on the evidence of one side the High Priest 
 asks to be heard. He claims to be able to show for Gerizim an an- 
 tiquity far antedating Jerusalem. For the first time in any modern 
 tongue (so far as is known to the editor of this document) he has 
 secured the ear of Christendom, and he asks for an impartial 
 hearing. 
 
 It will certainly surprise many readers of this article to find the 
 High Priest so keen a logician. While this article shows much 
 reasoning of the type we have learned to call rabbinical, his argu- 
 ment as a whole is logical, and follows the historical method to a 
 climax. 
 
 He claims to set forth, as he has received it from his fathers, the 
 Samaritan priests in unbroken succession from Aaron, the argument 
 for the sanctity of the holy mountain, Gerizim, against what he 
 deems the modem and unsupported claims of the Jebusite city 
 called by the Jews Jerusalem. That city, he affirms, was not 
 the place mentioned in the sacred Torah as the one to which the 
 
 1 Translated from the Arabic by Professor Abdullah Ben Kori, of 
 Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon ; edited by Rev. William E. 
 Barton, D.D., Oak Park, Illinois. 
 
4 
 
 Mount Gerizim, 
 
 children of Israel were journeying, nor was it known to them, nor 
 was it in their possession, nor is it named in the passages m the 
 Scriptures of the Jews which they quote in support of it. The un- 
 named sanctuary there cannot refer to Jabish, which was not known 
 to the Jews at that time, nor until David captured it, and his wicked 
 son Solomon introduced idolatry of various kinds. He appeals to 
 the Scriptures of the Jews, and affirms that where the place of the 
 sanctuary is unnamed it cannot refer to Jerusalem, and that where 
 it is named it plainly names Gerizim. There the tribes gathered for 
 the ratifying of the Law, and there they continued to come for the 
 crowning of their kings. Even the son of Solomon came back to 
 Gerizim to be crowned, as the Jews themselves know, and their Scrip- 
 tures declare. How vain, then, is it for them to assert that their .city 
 possesses antiquity and sanctity, when their own writings, even with 
 the corruptions they have made in them, show that Gerizim is the 
 place for worship! 
 
 I regret that in the article published in the Bibliotheca Sacra 
 for July, 1906, one or two errors appeared in my statements concern- 
 ing the age and service of Jacob, the High Priest. The information 
 on which I relied for these items was inaccurate in some of its 
 minor details. In a recent letter the priest promises me detailed 
 biographical information, but furnishes these facts concerning his 
 own birth and administration : — 
 
 “ i W as born iu the year 1257 of the Mohammedan Era, which is 
 1841 a. d. My father died the same year I was born, and I was 
 brought up by my grandfather. He was very kind to me, and taught 
 me all I know. I was married at eighteen, and when I was twenty 
 years of age my grandfather put me into the priesthood, in which I 
 have been ever since.” 
 
 This paper constitutes the second of the ten chapters of the book 
 written by the High Priest, referred to in the previous article. 
 
 I do not pretend that the publication of the High Priest’s argu- 
 ment will greatly disturb the conclusions of Christian scholarship. 
 To us it matters little on what mountain men were once taught to 
 worship God; since now the true believer may worship the Father 
 everywhere. But if any importance whatever may be attached to 
 the historical inquiry, the High Priest has more to say for his side 
 of the controversy than most modern scholars have suspected. 
 
 I acknowledge the ability and courtesy of Professor Ben Kori. 
 whose translation has been a labor of love, and without whose 
 cooperation my own work would have been impossible. 
 
 William E. Barton. 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 5 
 
 THE SANCTITY OF GERIZIM. 
 
 In the name of the Most Merciful God. This chapter is 
 concerning the belief of the Samaritan people as regards the 
 direction in which they turn themselves in prayer, namely, 
 toward Mount Gerizim. Their authority is manifest from the 
 express commands of the holy Torah. In it we shall prove 
 that this identical mountain is the chosen site, the house of 
 
 God Bait-u-Elah. Upon it the Shekinah was established 
 
 during the life of our lord Joshua, the son of Nun (upon him 
 be peace and the best of favors) ; and therefore it should be 
 the place of worship. We shall reply, furthermore, to the 
 Jews, who* rejected it, and refute their alleged reasons for sub- 
 stituting another place for it, calling to our proof Scriptures 
 that expressly relate to it. 
 
 the divine revelation of the true sanctuary. 
 
 The Samaritan people, in the first place, declare that, as a 
 matter of fact and viewed from a rational standpoint, the best 
 knowledge is to know the Creator (who is exalted above all) ; 
 and the best action is to worship him (who is exalted) ; for 
 by both of these every being is ennobled. And, as the result of 
 the diligent inquiry of thinking people, they have been led to 
 the conviction that the Maker of the world is the Ancient One, 
 whose worship shall be, binding, and whose unity should be 
 made evident. The spiritual angels left their abode on high 
 and descended earthward upon that sacred spot wherein ap- 
 peared his worship (who is exalted), and the belief in his 
 oneness. The spot became, on that account, highly exalted, 
 and quite distinct from every other on the whole earth. This 
 distinction and explanation are satisfactory to thinking minds. 
 
 THE SANCTUARY FROM MOSES TO JACOB. 
 
 The prophets, according to the traditions, from Adam to 
 
6 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 our lord Moses (on whom be peace), had, doubtless, a direc- 
 tion toward which they turned themselves in their worship of 
 God (who is exalted and honored). Passages may be found 
 in the sacred Book that was brought down upon our lord 
 Moses (on whom be peace) which harmonize with this claim. 
 In fact, God (who is exalted) revealed the region and place 
 through Moses, as will be explained later on, with the help of 
 God (may he be exalted). But among those passages it will be 
 of use to mention the ones in connection with our lord Jacob 
 (on whom be peace). 1 
 
 THE PROMISE IN TPIE WILDERNESS. 
 
 Again, we note what our lord Moses (on whom be peace) 
 mentioned in the song that was sung by himself and his people, 
 the children of Israel, in connection with the incident of the 
 sea, and which is found in Exodus xv. 17, meaning as follows : 
 “ Thou wilt introduce them, and plant them upon the mountain 
 of thy inheritance, in thy place,” down to the passage, in the 
 same chapter, whose purport is as follows : “ Which thou 
 hast made, O Lord, thy sanctuary. Confirm it, O God, by thy 
 power; thou, O God, wKo rulest eternally and forever.” This 
 prophecy of our lord Moses (on whom be peace) confirms the 
 continuation of the sanctity of that place ; for it is connected 
 with the ever existence of God and of his kingdom. Whether 
 by the way of inclusiveness or as a part of the whole, it is 
 God’s kingdom ; therefore this place is a chosen one. 
 
 THERE CAN BE BUT ONE SUCH SANCTUARY. 
 
 Moreover, what would be of import to our position is the 
 command of God (who is exalted) to destroy the places upon 
 which the foreigners worshiped their gods, namely, upon 
 
 1 The argument here is omitted as it appears later in place. 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 7 
 
 the high .mountains, in the groves, and under every shady tree. 
 He commanded them to demolish their altars, to undermine 
 their inclosures, to burn in fire their temples, to break to 
 pieces their engraved idols, to blot out their names from those 
 places, adding, “ Do not worship otherwise ; but only upon 
 the place which the Lord your God chose from among your 
 tribes that his name may abide therein, and he (who is exalted) 
 may dwell upon it.” The same is plainly indicated in 
 Deuteronomy xii. 26 : “ But thy offerings and thy vows, 
 
 which thou vowest and consecratest to God, carry and bring 
 over to the place which God chose.” This place has been 
 already shown, in another chapter, to exist in the land of 
 Canaan, and we shall refer to it later on. 
 
 JERUSALEM CANNOT BE THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 God preferred this tribe known as the Samaritans to those 
 of the Jews, because of God’s approval of the Samaritans over 
 the Jews in reference to the point to which direction in prayer 
 is made. In the manuscript of the Torah which is in the hands 
 of the Samaritans, the reference concerning the point of 
 direction in prayer is indicated in the past tense, namely, “in 
 the place which he chose.” The Jews, however, have in all 
 their manuscripts : “ in the place which he hath chosen.” The 
 Jews claimed the verb to be future, and that the command was 
 fulfilled under Solomon, the son of David, after the passing of 
 two hundred and thirty years of the possession of the land of 
 Canaan by the children of Israel. Then the Jews began to 
 build the city they call Jerusalem, which, in fact, was built by 
 and captured from the Jebusites under the reign of Solomon s 
 father, David, as we have indicated in the first chapter of this 
 book. But what would render this supposition null and void is 
 the making on the part of God (who is exalted) an obligatory 
 
8 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 duty upon his people of Israel, during the days of our lord 
 Moses (upon whom be peace) to bring forth a tenth of the 
 fruit of the land and of its crops, and to set apart whatever is 
 vowed of sheep, oxen, and their first-born yearly, and to 
 bring the same before the presence of God to the chosen place, 
 prohibiting their use for sacrifice in the villages and cities. 
 Now it would be wrong to make the tithes binding every year, 
 and to have them used in a special place, while the place is 
 either non-existent or unknown, with no means of finding it 
 out. This certainly cannot be accepted by sane minds ; for, 
 necessarily, the place must have been already existent and its 
 whereabouts must have been known before Jerusalem was in 
 the hands of the Jews. What might be an additional proof of the 
 wrong supposition of our opponents, as they claimed, is what 
 God (may he be exalted) made binding in reference to oxen 
 and sheep that are set apart; that is, he prohibited the free- 
 dom of using them and of having them kept in the hands of 
 him who would set them apart. He, indeed, specified the 
 period to which their setting apart must take place, which is, in 
 case of the oxen, according as it is recorded, up to the time 
 when the oxen reach the age of usefulness, say, in ploughing 
 the earth, and, then, they cannot remain in the hands of their 
 consecrators ; for said God (who is exalted) : “Do not plough 
 with the first-born of thy ox.” This means that the ox ought 
 to be brought to the house of God (who is exalted) before it 
 reaches its age of usefulness. The period limiting the conse- 
 cration of the first-born of sheep is before the sheep reach 
 what God (who is exalted) specified in the following: “Do 
 
 not shear the first-born of thy sheep ; but before the Lord thy 
 God thou shalt offer it yearly, in the place the Lord thy God 
 chose for thee.” 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 9 
 
 These arguments prove that there was a place of worship 
 known to the fathers and to which they took their sacrifices ; 
 and that before Jerusalem was known. We will now consider 
 the -reasons why this people claim that direction in prayer is 
 towards, and the worship of God (who is exalted) is upon, 
 the mountain, which is the mountain of worship for those who 
 devoted themselves to God (who is exalted). 
 
 GERIZIM WAS THE HOME OF ABRAHAM. 
 
 First, what befell our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) 
 after God (who is exalted) commanded him to depart from 
 his land and native home, and said to him, “ Go to the land 
 which I shall reveal unto thee, and wherein I shall make thee 
 a great people, and bless thee.” The Lord (who is exalted) 
 tells us that Abraham (upon whom be peace) departed, follow- 
 ing his command, and came to the land of Canaan, and 
 journeyed in it till he entered Nablus, that is to “the meadow 
 of Moreh,” which is known scripturally and traditionally to be 
 identical with Nablus. It is thus ^ definitely located in the book 
 of Genesis (chap, xii.), the contents of which affirm that it is 
 the place in view, where our lord Abraham (upon whom be 
 peace) pitched his tent. Here, as he remained for a while and 
 settled down, God (may he be exalted) appeared to him, and 
 conversed with him, and blessed him, and promised to give 
 him, and his seed, that land (see aforementioned chapter). 
 We can easily conjecture from the contents that God com- 
 manded our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) to leave his 
 country only in order that he might bring him to that place, 
 and we are certain that this place was the one he had promised 
 to direct him to. A sure indication was the fact that the altar 
 was built upon it, and the altar denotes the direction in 
 prayer, as well as the place of prayer and blessing ; for upon 
 Abraham’s arrival God (may he be exalted) blessed him, and 
 
10 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 made gifts to him, and he through the prophetic spirit felt as 
 if his object would be accomplished in doing pilgrimage to 
 that mountain near by, as it is recorded in the same chanter, 
 where it says, “And he departed from there to the mountain 
 east of Beth-el, and pitched there his tent, Beth-el on the west 
 and Ai on the east, and he built there an altar to God, and in- 
 voked the name of God.” It becomes plain, therefore, that the 
 mountain by the side of the meadow of Moreh is between the 
 mountain of Gerizim and of Ebal (Deut. xL 30 ). These 
 boundaries and other indications make plain to us the location 
 of the plain of Moreh, and also the mountain of Gerizim. 
 Here is the Bethel. Here our lord Abraham (upon whom be 
 peace) established the altar of worship, and thereupon he de- 
 clared the name of God (may he be exalted), in order to in- 
 form us that the mountain is chosen for that end. The fact 
 is well known that Elon Moreh ” is the plain of Beha, and Ai 
 is a village east of that plain, and these boundaries are thrice 
 mentioned in the Samaritan Torah, — twice in the Decalogue 
 (once in its first division, and another time in its second 
 division). The Jews, however, dropped it out from the Dec- 
 alogue. The reason whereof is that the dignity and virtue 
 of Mount Gerizim is well affirmed therein. There remained, 
 nevertheless, in the Jewish scriptures, the boundaries as we 
 have mentioned them in Deuteronomy xi. The Jews struck 
 out the saying of God (who is exalted), “confronting 
 Nablus ” ; for the Samaritans says, “ By the side of Elon 
 Moreh, which is by the side of Nablus.” But though they 
 have struck out God’s saying, “ confronting Nablus,” the 
 boundaries that are mentioned in their own text are in favor 
 of our argument. The fame of the mountain of Gerizim and 
 of Ebal is, indeed, great, even in the manuscript of the Jews. 
 The boundaries therein recorded define both sides of the 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 11 
 
 plain : Gerizim on its right, Ebal on its left ; and the meadow 
 of Moreh is at the base of Gerizim, reaching as far- as the 
 base of Ebal, and Gilgal is opposite the two mountains, and 
 forms a part of their boundaries. To this the intelligent will 
 readily assent. If there were no distinct difference between 
 these two mountains, their boundaries would not have been 
 marked in so specific a manner: such a distinction and prefer- 
 ence for the mountain of Gerizim as against the mountain of 
 Ebal will be noticed in its own place in this chapter. 
 
 And what would assure us that Nablus and its mountain are 
 the place to which God (may he be exalted) directed our lord 
 Abraham (upon whom be peace), directing him “to the land 
 which 1 shall show thee,” is the great distance he had to go. 
 The departure of bur lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) 
 was from “the Ur of Kashdim [Chaldeans], which is in the 
 land of Khorasan.” None can make little of the distance be- 
 tween Khorasan and Nablus, to> which he went. With all that, 
 the holy Torah did not mention any stopping-place or the 
 visiting of any place by our lord Abraham (upon whom be 
 peace) while on his distant journey, except his destination, the 
 place of Nablus, the plain and the mountain confronting it : 
 for they were his sought object, and through them was ful- 
 filled what was promised to our lord Abraham ( upon whom be 
 peace) of blessings from his Abundance (may he be exalted). 
 Thus it is affirmed that Nablus is a chosen place, and its 
 mountain is a chosen place ; it is the mountain of blessing, as 
 it is so explained, and told according to the plain statement of 
 our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) ; for its name is given 
 as Beth-el. 
 
 GERIZIM IS THE PLACE OF THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC. 
 
 The second argument for affirming that, it is the chosen place 
 of worship to God from eternity is that the holy men went to 
 
12 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 it, and worshiped God upon it, and made pilgrimage to it, and 
 recognized it well. Most notable is the account given as to the 
 trial of our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) when God 
 (may he be exalted) required the sacrifice of Isaac (upon 
 whom be peace), which is plainly given in Genesis xxii. 
 Therein it is said : “ After these words God tried Abraham 
 and spoke to Abraham, and he answered : Behold, here I am. 
 And God said, Take thy son, thy only son, whom thou lovest, 
 Isaac, and go to that land, the Moreh, and offer him as an 
 offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell you.” 
 
 Our lord Abraham (upon him be peace) obeyed the order 
 given him, and rose up early, and took his son, our lord Isaac 
 (upon him be peace), and took with him wood for the offer- 
 ing, and took a knife with him, and also his servants ; and 
 moved in the direction of the place as it is indicated in the 
 chapter mentioned. He saw the place to be very distant, and 
 departed in that direction — to the land of Moreh, after he had 
 gone a distance of three days. Now what is meant by the 
 land of Moreh is where he stopped. It is the land of the plain 
 of Moreh by Nablus, and this must have been the place where 
 God (may he be exalted) conlmanded him to go. Then our 
 lord Abraham (upon him be peace) looked out to that mount- 
 ain from afar, and knew positively it was the mountain of 
 Gerizim ; for, on account of its fame and height, one can see it 
 from afar. The distance proves also that : our lord Abraham 
 (upon whom be peace), when the revelation was given him, 
 was living in the Bir of the Sabi (Beer-sheba), and that is the 
 exact distance between that place and Mount Gerizim ; for if 
 a man would depart early from the Bir of the Sabi, he would 
 not arrive at that mountain except upon the third day . 1 This 
 is clearly not at all true to the place claimed by the Jews as 
 
 1 On this point, see article “ Moriah,” by Dr. Driver, in Hastings’s 
 Dictionary of the Bible. 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 13 
 
 that of the sacrifice, for it cannot be seen even at a distance of 
 half a day, not to mention three days. In due tim<e our lord 
 Abraham (upon whom be peace) arrived at the mountain, of 
 which he was told, and there he built the altar, that is, the 
 altar which he had built before, meaning, he built it again. 
 
 I It is not said, “ He built there an altar,” as if it were the first 
 
 time he had done so ; but “ the altar ” ; for where the letters 
 aleph and lamedh are prefixed to an indefinite noun, these let- 
 ters make it definite, and connect the altar thus rebuilt with a 
 previous and known history. There God (may he be exalted) 
 redeemed our lord Isaac (upon whom be peace) by a ram which 
 he sent, and which our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) 
 offered in lieu of his son. Thus was fulfilled his prayer, name- 
 ly : “ May God attend to the sheep for offering, my son,” which 
 was uttered as a reply to the question of his son concerning the 
 sheep for the offering. Thus God answered his prayer, and 
 looked upon him with his mercy, and redeemed his son for 
 him, and saved him from the edge of the knife. Therefore our 
 lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) called the name of that 
 place “ god-is-seen.” This name was given for two reasons : 
 first, because God (m!ay he be exalted) saw Abraham (upon 
 whom be peace) with his mercy, and answered him ; secondly, 
 because it is a derivation of that place whose name is the land 
 of Moreh wherein the mountain was situated. The same ex- 
 pression is given in the Torah when it was brought down up- 
 on our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) ; it is : “ And Abra- 
 ham called the name of that place YHWH-Jireh,” that is, 
 " god-is-seen.” The report of this expression was given out 
 j by the tongue of our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) when 
 
 he said : “ It is said to-day, In the mountain YHWH shall be 
 seen,” for the fame of this mlountain was well spread among 
 the children of Israel, during the days of the prophet Moses 
 
14 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 (upon whom be peace), to the effect that it is the place of 
 prayer and the kiblah of those who pray. 
 
 Those who are friendly descendants of Abraham (upon 
 whom be peace), besides affirming the foregoing, basing their 
 stand upon the infallible revelation, believe the advantages 
 accrued in this mountain exist still for the benefit of the latter 
 generations. This could be used to subvert the Jews claiming 
 that the chosen place was selected by God (may he be ex- 
 alted) only through David and Solomon, adding in their copy 
 of the Torah that it was a place “ to be' chosen.” We have, 
 therefore, thus produced convincing passages out of the 
 Scriptures, and have proved that the kiblah was chosen from 
 eternity. 
 
 gerizim: is the beth-el of Jacob's vision. 
 
 The third argument can be developed out of the life of our 
 lord Tacob (upon whom be peace). Both the Samaritan and 
 the Jewish copies agree on what was reported in Genesis 
 xxviii. as to his departure to his uncle’s, and as to what he 
 met in that place where lie tarried the night in dreaming that 
 dream and in seeing those visions. From these incidents the 
 high standing of that place, being the gate of heaven, its dis- 
 tinction from other mountains, the necessity of directing one- 
 self toward it in prayer, and its being the kiblah of the saints 
 are strongly confirmed. We have said something along this 
 line in the first part of this chapter. 
 
 The fourth argument is, our lord Jacob (upon whom be 
 peace) arrived safely from his journey, which was accom- 
 plished by God’s providence as is indicated in Genesis xxxi. 
 13, where God says, “ I am the God of Beth-el, where thou 
 anointedst a pillar and didst vow a vow ; arise and go to the 
 land of thy nativity.” While on the mountain, as he was on his 
 way, he had vowed as follows : “If God will be with me, and 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 15 
 
 will keep me in this way which I go, and will give me bread 
 as food and clothes to put on, and if I return in peace to the 
 house of my father ; God shall be my lord, and this stone that 
 I have set shall be the house of God : and whatever thou shalt 
 give me, that I shall surely tithe for thee.” When the Lord 
 (may he be exalted) favored him, and gave him blessings and 
 brought him back in peace, and fulfilled his request, and con- 
 ferred upon him his favors, he imposed it a duty upon him to 
 fulfill his vows. He reminded him of his pillar and promise, 
 and told him to go to that very place wherein he made his 
 vow, there to fulfill it. Jacob, loaded with abundant favors, 
 obediently left his uncle, and came in the direction of Nablus, 
 for it was the intended place (see Gen. xxxiii. 18). “And 
 Jacob came safely to Shechem, which is Nablus, which is in 
 the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and he 
 pitched his tent before the city.” 
 
 Now, the single return of Jacob to the city of Nablus is the 
 fulfillment of his prayer, which . he uttered in the course of his 
 vow, saying, “And if I return safely to the house of my 
 father.” Verily, it was the fulfillment. of what he wished. By 
 the house Of his father is meant the altar his grandfather 
 Abraham (upon whom be peace) had built in the plain at 
 Nablus, and it is the very one previously mentioned as “ Elon 
 Moreh.” Therefore our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) 
 pitched his tent in that place. “ He pitched his tent before that 
 city.” The city is Nablus. He, also, bought that plain, to 
 » which reference has been made, from the people of those days, 
 
 and which is called “ Halkat us-Sahra.” The name of the 
 plain was at first “Elon Moreh, 1 ' but now it is “Halkat us- 
 Sahra.” What stronger argument could there be than Tift 
 fact that our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) j bdrigllH J fMi 
 plain to the neglect of others ; that he erected T her efcfP Thl 
 
16 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 and called the name of that altar “ The Mighty God of 
 Israel ” ? This parcel of “ us-Sahra ” belonging to Nablus is at 
 the base of Mount Gerizim. Both the Samaritan and Jewish 
 people agree upon its name and fame. At its corner our lord 
 Joseph (upon whom be peace) is buried. His tomb is still to be 
 seen in it until this very day. This fact is strongly affirmed by 
 the written traditions of both of the mentioned peoples, so we 
 have exact and undisputed knowledge so far as that place is 
 concerned. 
 
 The Samaritan people know their truths through what has 
 been written about it in the books of their forefathers and 
 through their dwelling near by it. 
 
 THE BURIAL OF JOSEPH PROVES THE SANCTITY OF GERIZIM. 
 
 With the Jews, what affirms our position is the thirty-second 
 verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of Joshua, reading as 
 follows : “ And the bones of Joseph, which the children of 
 
 Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, which 
 place was bought for one hundred sheep, and it became a 
 possession of the children of Joseph.” But the Samaritan 
 people explain, from the Scriptures and traditions of their 
 forefathers, that the cause of their forefather Jacob’s buying 
 this parcel of land was its exalted rank, because our Lord 
 Abraham (upon whom be peace) erected upon it an altar, and 
 because of its nearness to Mount Gerizim. The burial of our 
 lord Joseph (upon whom be peace) is in that very place. This 
 has been our contention throughout the long discussion with 
 the aforesaid people. Apparently the burial of Joseph (upon 
 whom be peace) was the result of a special revelation from 
 God (may he be exalted) to our lord Joshua (upon whom be 
 peace), for it was among those sections of Nablus given to our 
 lord Joseph (upon whom be peace) by his father Jacob (upon 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 17 
 
 whom be peace). This is explained in Genesis xlviii. 21: 
 “ And I gave thee Nablus [Sam, Heb. reads Shecbem] in 
 preference to thy brothers, which I took from the band of the 
 Amorite with my sword and bow.” 
 
 This passage, taken from the Hebrew text, harmonizes with 
 the passage found in the Samaritan text, and also with the 
 text used by the Jews. Accordingly the lord Joshua (upon 
 whom be peace) and the people with him, who found favor in 
 God’s sight, gave Nablus and its dependencies to the children 
 of Joseph (upon whom be peace), wherein they buried their 
 grandfather. 
 
 We do not admit the claim of the Jews, to the effect that 
 Nablus was one of the cities of Refuge, as is found in their 
 book of Joshua. Now, the cities of Refuge belonged to the chil- 
 dren of Levi : observe, therefore, this contradiction. Joseph 
 (upon whom be peace) was buried in his own portion, as it is 
 admitted by both Samaritans and Jews and as we explained 
 previously, and not in land belonging to the Levites (upon 
 whom be peace). ' 
 
 The reason why our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) gave 
 particularly Nablus to our lord Joseph (upon whom be peace) 
 in preference to his brothers can be found in Jacob’s desire to 
 recompense his son’s beneficent deeds and favors which the 
 latter accorded to his father and brothers in supplying with 
 abundance their deficiencies and needs in those years of 
 famine, as the report is given in Genesis xlvii. 12, where we 
 find the following: “And Joseph nourished his father, 
 
 brothers, and all his father’s family, with bread, according to 
 their families.” 
 
 He used to feed them, and give them bread, to each in 
 sufficient quantity, including even their children. There was 
 no bread in all the land, for famine was felt sorely. There- 
 
18 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 fore Jacob (upon whom be peace) gave the noblest of the 
 earth’s spots especially to him. And God (may he be exalted) 
 made it a duty upon any of the children of Israel who was to 
 take possession of his own inheritance, wherever it might be, 
 to come to this spot, in order to be sanctified by treading on it, 
 and in order to receive a blessing from it, and thence to carry 
 such a blessing to his own land. And notice of this is given 
 in the book of Deut. xxxiii. 13, in the blessing recorded by 
 our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) concerning our lord 
 Joseph (upon whom be peace): “And of Joseph he said, 
 Blessed of the Lord be his land for the precious things of 
 heaven.” This is the land which was given to him and where- 
 in he was buried ; it is the blessed land from God (may he be 
 exalted). Blessed shall be those who make pilgrimage to it, 
 and those who dwell upon it : this passage confirms the fact 
 that Nablus and its mountain are chosen by God (may he be 
 glorified). He sanctified them, and blessed them, and made 
 them a worthy site for his worship, and .for the fulfilling of 
 vows therein. 
 
 GERIZIM WAS THE PLACE TO WHICH JACOB “ WENT UP ” 
 
 TO WORSHIP. 
 
 The fifth argument can be drawn from the following: That 
 the Scriptures declare the place called Beth-el to be the chosen 
 site and identified with Mount Gerizim is plain from the ac- 
 count of what took place between our lord Jacob (upon whom 
 be peace) and Shekim the son of Hiemor, who was the gover- 
 nor of Nablus in those days, in regard to the latter’s marriage 
 with Jacob’s daughter Dinah. When Jacob’s sons killed the 
 inhabitants of Nablus, our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) 
 became afraid of the consequences of their action, and the Cre- 
 ator (may he be exalted) knew of his fear and revealed to him 
 his will as follows : “ Arise, and go up to Beth-el, and remain 
 
Mount Genzim. 
 
 19 
 
 there ; and erect an altar to the Omnipotent, who appeared to 
 thee in thy flight from before thy brother Esau.” Our lord 
 Jacob (upon whom be peace) was at that time living in the 
 land-parcel which he bought from the Amorites, which is Elon 
 Moreh, which is close by Mount Gerizim, as we have ex- 
 plained previously. Now when God (may he be exalted) said 
 to Jacob (upon whom be peace) : “ Go up,” he meant that he 
 who desires to go up to Mount Gerizim from this land-parcel, 
 his doing so is a continuous going up from the beginning of his 
 march until his arrival. Furthermore it is explained that this 
 place, upon which Jacob (upon whom be peace) was com- 
 manded to go, was the very place where he tarried the night 
 in his flight from his brother Esau. It was there that the 
 angel appeared to him. He called that place Beth-el, and 
 erected a pillar upon it. In the account (to which reference 
 has been made) Jacob (upon whom be peace) is commanded 
 to erect another altar on it, in order that the timid may be well 
 assured that such a place is his refuge, for it is the house of 
 God, the protector, (may he be exalted) who saves the one 
 taking refuge in him and seeking him' by faith, in this place. 
 Our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) obeyed, and per- 
 formed, as the Holy Spirit told him, what is dutiful to every- 
 one intending to make a pilgrimage to this place. It was what 
 had been performed, also, by his forefathers. He ordered his 
 children to put away from among them the foreign gods, which 
 they had stolen from the worship houses of the people of 
 Nablus. He ordered them to purify themselves, and to change 
 their clothes, as is given in Genesis xxxv. 6. Thereupon he com- 
 manded them to go up to Luzah, to Beth-el, as it is said in the 
 same chapter: “ So Jacob came to Luzah, which is in Canaan 
 (the same is Beth-el), he and all the people that were with 
 him.” These passages indicate that the place is one, and there is 
 
20 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 no other included. It belongs to God, and it was not substituted. 
 It was called, formerly, Luzah, but now it is called Beth-el. 
 How could there be doubt of its being the chosen place, when 
 its former name “ Lu-zah ” means “to God ” and its follow- 
 ing name “ Beth-el ” means “ the house of the Almighty ” ? It 
 was, moreover, called “ Beth-Elohim,” meaning “ the house 
 of angels”; also “ Sheer-hashamaim,” meaning “the gates oi 
 heavens/’ The name “ Gerizim ” appeared for the first time 
 only during the life of our lord Moses (upon whom be peace). 
 He who knows Hebrew and has it at his command can hardly 
 fail to see strong proofs and plain indications in these names, 
 as they are pronounced in Hebrew, and it takes little consid- 
 eration of these legal and Mosaic passages to come to the 
 sure conclusion that they designate Mount Gerizim or Beth-el, 
 meaning “ the house of God ” ; that it is the kiblah for the 
 worship of God (who is exalted) and the proper site for his 
 descending glory ; that it is the place designated by the 
 apostle Moses (upon whom be peace) in Exodus xv. 4, while 
 he was praying to God that the people of Israel might remain 
 firm in this mountain, as follows : “ Thou shalt bring them in, 
 and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the 
 place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; in 
 the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. 
 Thou, O Lord, shalt reign forever and ever.” From these 
 passages it appears that the place in question is holy, and that 
 its holiness is subject to no change with God (who is exalted). 
 
 GERIZIM IS THE MOUNTAIN WHERE JOSHUA SET UP 
 THE PILLAR. 
 
 The sixth argument we can have from what is related in 4he 
 book of Joshua, the one which is in the possession of the 
 Samaritans and according to the one in the possession of the 
 
 
 * 
 
 a 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 21 
 
 Jews, that the aforesaid mountain is sanctified to God.' The 
 Jewish book called Joshua, in chap. xxiv. 25, says: “And 
 
 Joshua made a covenant in that day.; he set thereon a statute 
 and an ordinance in Nablus, and wrote all these sayings in 
 the law of God, and he took a large stone, and set under the 
 Hailah, the oak, that was in the sanctuary of God.” This 
 “ Hailah ” is the one under which our lord Jacob (upon whom 
 be peace) buried the spoils his children took from Nablus, 
 when he came up to this mountain, as it is seen in Genesis 
 xxxv. 4: “And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods 
 
 which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their 
 ears ; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by 
 Shechem.” Thus it is clear from this and other passages 
 that the sanctuary of God was in Nablus, and that it is the 
 place wherein existed “ Hailah,” whose fame is great with the 
 Samaritans until this day. Even the Muslims who live near by^ 
 or in Nablus receive blessings from it, and, following the man- 
 ner of the children of Israel, call it « The Pillar,” deriving this 
 name from the pillar which our lord Joshua (upon whom be 
 peace) set, and whereupon he wrote the covenant which he 
 made with the children of Israel just before his death, as pre- 
 viously mentioned. 
 
 THE TENTH COMMANDMENT REQUIRES WORSHIP 
 IN GERIZIM. 
 
 The seventh argument is that in the Samaritan Torah, in the 
 Decalogue, in the tenth commandment, there is the following : 
 “ And it shall be that when God 1 shall bring thee into the land 
 of the Canaanite, which thou shalt enter to inherit it ; there 
 shalt thou set up large stones, and thou shalt plaster them 
 with plaster, and thou shalt write upon the stones all the words 
 of this law. And when ye shall cross the Jordan, ye shall set 
 up these stones, as I am commanding you, in Mount Gerizim. 
 
22 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 And ve shall build there an altar for the Lord your God, 
 and thou shalt offer thereupon offerings for the Lord your 
 God ; and this mountain is beyond Jordan, towards where the 
 sun sets, in the land of the Canaanite, who dwells in the 
 Arabah opposite Gilgal, beside Elon Moreh, in front of 
 Nablus.” 
 
 This commandment of the Decalogue was omitted by the 
 Jews in their copy : if they would investigate, they would find 
 their Decalogue to be formed of nine commandments. But 
 this commandment was repeated again before the death of our 
 lord the Apostle Moses (upon whom be peace). He made a 
 covenant with them and reminded them of this commandment 
 still found in Deuteronomy xvii. in the copies of both Samari- 
 tans and Jews : “ And Moses and the elders of Israel com- 
 
 manded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments I 
 commanded you this day. And when. ye shall cross the Jordan 
 to the land the Lord God shall grant thee, then set thee up 
 large stones, and plaster them with plaster, and write upon 
 them all the words of the law. When thou shalt cross into the 
 land the Lord your God shall give you, a land that produces 
 milk and honey, as said the Lord, the God of your fathers 
 when ye shall cross over, ye shall set up these stones, which I 
 command you this day.” 
 
 Now in the Samaritan Torah the stones are ordered to be 
 set up “ in Mount Gerizim ” ; while the Jews have “ in Mount 
 Ebal.” It continues : “ And thou shalt plaster them with 
 plaster, and thou shalt erect an altar to the Lord thy God, an 
 altar of stones ; thou shalt not lift upon them any iron. Of 
 whole stones shalt thou build the altar of the Lord thy God, 
 and thou shalt offer upon it burnt offerings to the Lord thy 
 God, and thou shalt offer peace sacrifices. Thou shalt eat 
 there and rejoice before the Lord thy God.” He repeated the 
 
Mpunt Gerizim. 
 
 23 
 
 same thought again in this chapter, and made it a duty to have 
 the blessing recited from upon Mount Gerizim, because of the 
 descent of the blessing in this mountain upon the children of 
 Israel. Therefore he said : “ These should stand upon Mount 
 Gerizim to bless the people.” They were Simon, Levi, Juda, 
 * Iesheker, Joseph, and Benjamin; opposite them, according to 
 
 the command of God (who is exalted), stood six others, upon 
 Mount Ebal, as it is said : “ And these should stand upon 
 
 Mount Ebal to curse.” They were Reuben, Gad, Esher, Zeb- 
 ulun, Dan, and Naphtali. Following these passages, this 
 change made by the Jews becomes plain ; they claim the altar 
 was to be built on Mount Ebal, whereas God (who is exalted) 
 made known to us, through the preceding passages, the ex- 
 alted difference of Mount Gerizim from Mount Ebal. He told 
 us what to do : to rejoice in that place, where he commanded 
 an altar to be erected thereupon to offer sacrifices and to do 
 other specified things ; but joy cannot take place in Mount 
 Ebal, on account of what he commanded to be done upon it, 
 namely, to curse and threaten, which, rather, causes repent- 
 ance and weeping. Sadness would take hold of the feelings, 
 and if those curses and threatenings were heard one would 
 necessarily weep and repent. All this opposes Joy. But the 
 blessings and promises are heard together with other con- 
 comitant expressions, namely, blessing God’s name; then joy 
 would result. Gladness will possess the feelings ; for blessings 
 contain promises of the abundance of wealth, descent of bless- 
 ing, assurance of victory, and fulfillment of covenant. Prayer 
 must be applied to receive them. God (who is exalted) made 
 5 us know, from the Scriptures, that to give and receive blessing 
 must be accompanied with “ His name” (who is exalted). 
 Thus he said to the children of Aaron, who were ordered to 
 bless continually the people of God, Israel, as in Numbers vi. 
 
•24 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 22 : “ And God spake to Aaron and his sons, saying : Thus 
 ye shall bless the children of Israel ” as far as “And they shall 
 place my name upon the children of Israel and I shall bless 
 them.” It is proved, therefore, that blessing must be joined 
 with God’s name; that God (may he be exalted) established 
 a place wherein it is good to hear it ; that the latter can be ob- 
 tained upon Mount Gerizim. Thus it is written in Deut. xi. 
 29 : “ And thou shalt perform the blessings upon Mount 
 
 Gerizim and the cursings upon Mount Ebal.” Hence to ask 
 for the blessings and to obtain them must occur only upon 
 this mountain upon which God (may he be exalted) made it 
 imperative to have thanksgiving, sacrificial offerings, and re- 
 joicing, associated with hearing the blessings, as they take 
 place upon Mount Gerizim. The Jews, however, still ke^p 
 with no alteration the two previously recorded commands in 
 regard to Mount Gerizim, namely : “ Thou shalt give the 
 
 blessings upon Mount Gerizim ” and also^ : “ Those shall stand 
 on Mount Gerizim to bless the people.” But in connection 
 with the altar, sacrificial offerings, and rejoicing, they change 
 Gerizim to Ebal and, thereby, unite two impossibilities, namely, 
 of having cursing and rejoicing take place jointly, as we have 
 already said. But, at any rate, the erection of an altar as well 
 as the offering of sacrifices and rejoicing must take place in a 
 sacred place, well fitted for that end; for such must be done 
 “ before God.” It must be attended to as soon as possession 
 of the land shall become a fact. God made it imperative that 
 it should take place only in the site chosen as his kiblah, as 
 several passages of the Scriptures testify to it. He connected 
 the offering of sacrifices with the tabernacle : whosoever of- 
 fered sacrifices outside of the tabernacle was caused to perish. 
 He (who is exalted) commanded that the tabernacle should be 
 erected in the appointed place ; he made both the tabernacle 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 25 
 
 and the place eternally indissoluble the one from the other. 
 
 As for the conditions of sacrificial offerings before the 
 presence of God, that is, in the kiblah of God, they are found in 
 Leviticus, in several chapters, among which is the seventeen^. 
 Let the reader look this up, and its contents will be found clear. 
 As to the indissoluble connection of the tabernacle with its ap- 
 pointed site, we find several chapters that refer to it, among 
 which is Deuteronomy xxi. In this chapter God (may he be 
 exalted) set and designated the appointed place ; what must 
 be done upon it; the sacrificial offerings and the rejoicing. 
 From it, it is clear that rejoicing should be done in the taber- 
 nacle in the appointed place, and that assures us that the ap- 
 pointed place is Mount Gerizim, which is by Nablus. As to 
 whether it is Mount Gerizim (according to the Samaritans) or 
 Ebal (according to the Jews) in connection with the erection 
 of an altar, the offerings and rejoicing, taking place “before 
 God,” that question has been answered. The law must be read 
 after the passing of the “ seven years.” The reading must 
 be done in the hearing of all the children of Israel (see Deut. 
 iii. 9-12). Also the passover offering must be done in connec- 
 tion with “ the appointed place,” and not in the temple house, 
 as the Jews claim, and in no other place. The necessary pil- 
 grimages are three every year. Such pilgrimages, according to 
 God’s command, must be rendered in his presence, in his ap- 
 pointed place. It is found in Joshua that our lord Joshua 
 (upon whom be peace) left undone not even a word of the 
 Law, but he executed* it. The land rested in his days. (See 
 Josh. xi. 15 ; viii. 35.) At the close of the latter chapter we 
 read: “He did not neglect even one word of what Moses 
 commanded; he executed everything.” 
 
 GERIZIM IS THE MOUNT OF BLESSING. 
 
 The eighth argument, which also confirms the fact that 
 
26 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 Mount Gerizim is the appointed place, is that it was the 
 mountain upon which the blessings were recited. Now I will 
 draw the contrast between the exalted estate of Mount Gerizim 
 and that of Mount Ebal, in addition to what preceded. 
 
 1. We note the appointment of the first six tribes to stand on 
 Mount Gerizim for blessing; while the other six tribes, all 
 lower in nobility, were designated to stand on Mount Ebal. 
 The tribes upon Ebal were, with the exception of two, the 
 children of concubines. As to Reuben and Zebulun, there is 
 discussion that, for time and space, we shall let go by in this ' 
 short essay. 
 
 2. The necessity of giving the blessings on Mount Gerizim 
 and the cursings on Mount Ebal. 
 
 3. When the two mountains are named, Gerizim is always 
 mentioned first. 
 
 4. The very appearance of the two mountains suggests a 
 contrast, and discloses the existence of traces of blessings on 
 Mount Gerizim. It is a shining mountain. It is crowned with 
 water springs gushing from all its sides. It has a full vege- 
 tation and a healthy climate. Mount Ebal has nothing of the 
 kind as we can see to-day. 
 
 5. The fact that it is called “ Beth-el,” and that Elon 
 Moreh is by its side. The latter is also called “ Halkat us- 
 Sahra.” No explanation is needed here for the one who looks 
 upon and reads the books of Moses (upon whom be peace).. 
 From every standpoint Mount Gerizim towers over Ebal, and 
 is in every possible way superior to it in all points of ex- 
 cellency. 
 
 6. There is in the Samaritan Torah the passage that the 
 erection of the altar and the offering of sacrifices should take 
 place on Gerizim. This is the true reading. Contrary to what 
 the Jews affirm, corrupting the very Torah to prove their 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 27 
 
 position, changing the one true place of worship, first to 
 Shiloh and afterward to Jebesh, and causing their Law to 
 read that the holy altar was erected on Ebal the mountain of 
 cursing, the Samaritans preserve and obey the word as it was 
 revealed through Moses (upon whom be peace). 
 
 7. The Jews forgot Nablus and its exalted state, in spite of 
 the fact that in the days of Samuel and Saul, as it is evident 
 from their own books of Kings and Chronicles, they used 
 never to declare allegiance to a monarch or crown a king ex- 
 cept in Shechem or Nablus; for it was the capital of the King- 
 dom of Israel, and in the lot of our lord Joseph (upon whom 
 be peace), who is the first king that appeared out of the de- 
 scendants of our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace). 1 
 
 THE TWICE SEVEN HOLY NAMES OF MOUNT GERIZIM. 
 
 The Samaritan books have for Mount Gerizim twice seven 
 holy names. 
 
 1. The first name is “ the ancient mountain/' The 
 Ancient One (may he be exalted) chose it from the creation, 
 from the time lie made the dry land to appear. It is so desig- 
 nated in Deut. xxiii. 15, where in the blessing of Joseph (upon 
 whom be peace) it is stated that his blessing shall be from the 
 excellencies of “ the ancient mountain.” 
 
 2. It is called beth-el, meaning “ the house of the al- 
 mighty.” The Almjighty (may he be exalted) caused it to 
 be a shield and a help to the one making pilgrimage to it. He 
 made it a refuge and sanctuary to all those who turn to God 
 (may he be exalted) and seek him upon it. This name 
 was mentioned several times in Jacob’s flight for his fear of 
 those of Nablus, that is, those who live in or by it. God 
 (may he be exalted) told him, “Arise, and go up to Beth-el.” 
 
 1 See, e. g., the account of the coronation of Rehoboam, the son of 
 Solomon (1 Kings xii. 1). 
 
28 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 A full discussion of the same has already been made in this 
 chapter, and God (may he be exalted) knows best. 
 
 3. The third name is “the house of angels” (Elohim). 
 It is the dwelling of the holy angels. They never abandon it ; 
 they continually remain in it, praising God (may he be ex- 
 alted) and praying to him on it. Our lord Jacob (upon whom 
 be peace) uttered this name when he said : “ This is no other 
 than the house of God” (Gen. xxviii. 17). 
 
 4. The fourth name is “ the gate of heaven.” Everyone 
 who prays and seeks God (may he be exalted) in prayer, must 
 direct himself to it. To prove it, see what our lord Jacob (up- 
 on whom be peace) said in the same chapter, namely, “And 
 this is the gate of heaven.” 
 
 5. The fifth name is luzah. It is declared in the same 
 chapter that the name of the city was, at first, Luzah. That 
 was its surname from the beginning; for in the first ages they 
 used to designate this mountain, saying, “To him is this 
 [LozehJ, that is, “to god is this place.” This was because 
 of what they used to see of its greatness and lights, and this 
 was the reason why our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) 
 said about this mountain : “ How full of lights is this place ” 
 (see preceding chapter). 
 
 6. The sixth name is “ sanctuary.” It is spoken of as the 
 dwelling of the Holy One (may he be exalted), and it is the 
 place of the sanctuary and the kiblah of the sanctiful people. 
 All these words fit it closely. It is the place of God (may he 
 be exalted). Therefore spoke the great prophet Moses (upon 
 whom be peace) in the holy Torah, in designating this mount- 
 ain : “ Thou hast made a sanctuary, O Lord.” 
 
 7. The seventh name is “ mount gerizim.” It is explained 
 after the Scriptures as the mountain of blessing : “ Thou 
 shalt make the blessing upon Mount Gerizim. ,:> It is, also, 
 
Mount Gerizim. 
 
 29 
 
 hinted at as the dwelling of God (may he be exalted) where- 
 upon the name of God (may he be exalted) must be uttered. 
 Compare “ In the place where my name is pronounced, there I 
 shall be, and I shall bless thee.” 
 
 8. The eighth name is “ beth-yhwh.” This is the 
 
 very name of the Highest. Compare Exodus xxiii. 19 : The 
 
 firstlings of thy land shalt thou bring to the house of the Lord 
 [Beth-YHWH] thy God.” It is the place of offerings of 
 tithes, firstlings, sacrifices and presents, and of everything that 
 belongs to God (may he be exalted), according to his com- 
 mand. And as there is no companion to the Owner of the 
 name YHWH, so there is among all the. mountains none like 
 this mountain. 
 
 9. The ninth name is “the beautiful mountain. Com- 
 
 pare Deut. iii. 25, where our lord Moses (upon whom be 
 peace)- designated so in his prayer that he may enter the holy 
 land in order to see the beautiful mountain : “ Let me go be- 
 yond to the good land, which is across the Jordan, that beauti- 
 ful mountain and Lebanon.” He meant by “ that beautiful 
 mountain ” Mount Gerizim ; he was praying in its direction as 
 he called it so. The reason of thus surnaming it is found in 
 the fact that God (may he be exalted) had commanded that 
 everything good should be offered upon it, beginning from 
 Abel (see Gen. iv. 4) : “And Abel offered, also, of the first- 
 lings of his sheep and of its fat ones.” This mountain offering 
 corresponds with the written traditions kept by this people. 
 God (may he be exalted) commanded it, namely, that every- 
 thing good and holy should be offered him upon this mountain. 
 We find the following in Deuteronomy xii. 11 : “To the place 
 
 which the Lord your God shall choose from your tribes to 
 cause his name to dwell there, ye shall bring thither what I am 
 
30 
 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 commanding’ you as far as “ and the bvst of the vows ye vow 
 to God.” 
 
 10. The tenth name is the chosen place,” as in verse 5 
 of the same chapter, and in many other passages. 
 
 11. The eleventh name is “the highest in the world.” 
 So called it our two great lords, our lord Jacob and our lord 
 Moses (upon them be peace), in the blessing they gave Joseph 
 (upon whom be peace). The words of our lord Jacob (upon 
 whom be peace) are as lollows : He said in the blessing, “ The 
 blessing of thy father and of thy mother have prevailed upon 
 the blessing of the mountains.” Again, “ Even to the bound 
 of the highest in the world ” shall be to the chief Joseph (up- 
 on whom be peace). Our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) 
 spoke in blessing Joseph (upon whom be peace) as follows-. 
 “ Fr^m the best things of the ancient mountain and the best 
 things of the highest in the world.” Hie. mleant that this 
 mountain is the highest of the earth’s mountains in point of ex- 
 cellency and altitude. 
 
 12. The twelfth name is “the first of mountains,” situ- 
 ated within the boundaries of the best of the tribes. Compare 
 what God (may he be exalted) said about it to our lord 
 Abraham (upon whom be peace) : “Upon the best, or first, of 
 mountains, which I will tell you.” This was when God (may 
 he be exalted) was trying his allegiance by commanding him 
 to offer his son Isaac (upon whom be peace), as in Genesis 
 xxii. 2 : “ Take thy son, thy only son, whom; thou lovest, 
 Isaac, and bring him to the land of Moreh and offer him as 
 an offering upon the first of mountains, which I will tell you.” 
 
 13. The thirteenth name is “ god is seen.” It was given by 
 our lords Abraham and Moses (upon them be peace). Com- 
 pare Genesis xxii. 14. 
 
Mount Gefizim. 
 
 31 
 
 14. The fourteenth name is “ the mountain of the in- 
 heritance of the shekinah ” for our lord Moses ( upon 
 whom be peace) said: “In the mountain of thy inheritance, 
 the place of thy dwelling,” as we have previously explained in 
 this chapter. 
 
 Both the Samaritan and Jewish copies agree that our lord 
 Joshua (upon whom be peace), before his death, gathered all 
 Israel, and they stood in the presence of God in the. taber- 
 nacle, as we read in the Jewish book of Joshua (chapter 
 xxiv.). 
 
 He made there a covenant with them that should remain 
 faithful to the keeping of the law, given through our lord 
 Moses, the son of Amram (upon whom be peace). Just after 
 that it is said, “ And he made them a statute and an ordinance 
 in Shechem,” the city now known as Nablus. That was im- 
 mediately before his death. 
 
 To prove what we have said, let it be known that Nablus 
 was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and one of its 
 mountains was Mount Gerizim, whereupon, during the life of 
 our lord Joshua (upon whom be peace), the tabernacle was 
 erected. Another proof is that all those who served in the 
 tabernacle, namely, Eleazer, Phinehas, Ithamar, Shisha, 
 Bahka, and Uzza and the seventy elders, who prophesied from 
 the gift of our lord Moses (upon whom be peacd), all of these 
 were ordered to be buried opposite the aforesaid mountain, 
 and so it was done. They were buried opposite the noble 
 mountain in Amarta, after they had spent their age in serv- 
 ing in the tabernacle. Their graves are still known to both 
 Samaritans and Jews unto this day. If, according to the 
 fancy of the Jews, the tabernacle had been in Jebesh, 'these 
 great priests would have been buried there. One sees their 
 graves — all directed towards this mountain. 
 
3 0112 073 
 
 52867 
 
 32 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 Thus do the Samaritans prove their sanctuary the true 
 place of prayer, appealing not to their own traditions only, but 
 to the testimony of priests whom the Jews also honor, whose 
 graves, now with us and undisputed, bear their own eloquent 
 testimony to the truth which we profess; for those graves 
 point, as we pray, toward the Holy Mountain, where we still 
 worship the God of our fathers. 
 
 Let me conclude this chapter by saying : This is the creed 
 
 of the Samaritans and their belief in this mountain. They 
 offer their sacrifices upon it, and perform upon it all that is 
 necessary for their sanctification, in accordance with Deut. 
 xxxiii. 18 - 19 . They argue that the prophet-leader, who shall 
 lead the world, will surely appear. He will bring up again 
 the Shekinah upon the aforesaid mountain, in the second king- 
 dom, when God shall look with favor upon his people and shall 
 forgive them. 
 
 O God; direct us to thy pleasure, and confirm us in 
 
 TEIE BEST FAITH THROUGH ' THE INTERMEDIATION OF OUR LORD 
 AND PROPHET MOSES, THE SON OF AMRAM ! 
 
 This chapter is what a tired mind and a weak in- 
 telligence COULD ATTAIN WITHIN THE LIMITS OF BRIEFNESS. 
 
 And God knows best. 
 
 Jacob, Son of Aaron, High Priest of the Samaritans 
 at Shechem.