News Alert from the Shomron Liaison Office
April 28, is a very special day in the hills of the Shomron as the Samaritan community celebrates Passover. Some forty miles north of Jerusalem, an annual event occurs that transports the modern person thousands of years back in history.
The Samaritan Passover has, for over two thousand years, been observed on Mt. Gerizim and until today the Samaritans continue to gather there every year to offer the sacrifices prescribed in the Torah (Pentateuch). The Jewish people celebrate Passover each year, but since the Romans leveled the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the biblically mandated sacrifices have not been offered by Jews. The Samaritans, by contrast, did not give their allegiance to the Jerusalem Temple (since the days of the Exile) and held their sacrificial services on Mt. Gerizim instead. Even after their Temple was destroyed, the Samaritans continued to offer sacrifices on Mt. Gerizim, and do so to this day.
The Passover service is not an easy sight to observe. As it was at the Jerusalem Temple, certain areas are restricted to certain people. The priests have the most privileged positions. The Samaritan men, the heads of the households, take their place with their family’s lamb at the sacrificial trough. Surrounding them are their families.
The service starts near the time of sunset. The Samaritan men dress in white garments, the leaders wear red hats. The Samaritans begin chanting and praying in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Then the signal is given, and the head of each household reaches for his knife to slice the throat of his family’s lamb. As soon as the deed is done, the Samaritans all begin clapping, congratulating each other and celebrating. About thirty-five sheep are slaughtered, about one for each larger family unit (there are no more than 900 Samaritans alive in the world today). Then the sheep are skinned and put on a pole (skewer) and carried over to one of the 2-3 meter deep roasting pits to be cooked for most of the night.
The Samarian communities are citizens of the State of Israel. Their community welcomes visitors throughout the year and visits can be arranged through the auspices of the Shomron Liaison Office either for mission groups as well as for personal one-on-one tours.
Similar to most years thousands of guests from Israel are expected to visit during the celebration including the Head of the Shomron Regional Council Mr. Gershon Mesika, Cabinet Minister Mr. Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Minister Mr. Ayoob Kara and others.
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