John 4:20 - 23 (ASV)
Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, believe
me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall
ye worship the Father. Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that
which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh, and
now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and
truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers."
The Samaritans had an altar on Mt. Gerazim called the altar of Abraham, the peak on the
left side of the photo, there they sacrificed their Passover lambs. The
Samaritans sacrificed lambs on top of the mountain as late as the 20th
century.
Samaritans on Mt. Gerazim with rabbi carrying torah scroll
c. 1900-1920
Lambs on wood spits in preparation for the Passover feast, Mt. Gerazim, c.
1900-1920
The Samaritans were a mixed lot of Jews who had intermarried with
others after the Assyrian Conquest. For the Passover they were
commanded to roast the meat, not boil it. They camped on Mt.
Gerazim in tents in observance of the Passover.
Samaritans making unleavened bread dough and baking it on the
hearth, Mt. Gerazim, c. 1900-1920
For more photos of the Samaritan Passover go to:
Library of Congress Photo Search Page
and follow the link to search page, then type the keyword Samaritan in the box.
Josephus described a temple that was used by the Samaritans on Mt. Gerazim: Samaritan Temple on Mt. Gerazim
