THE LAST ISRAELITISH BLOOD SACRIFICE 



low is the path by which Adam was ex- 

 pelled from Paradise, after haying been 

 created from the dust of Gerizim. 



Beyond is the altar of Seth, a stone 

 circle with a pavement of large uncut 

 stones (probably of megalithic origin). 



Just beyond Seth's shrine, farther 

 south, is a ditch sunk into a rock protrud- 

 ing boldly from the mountain side. It is 

 the Samaritan rival to Mount Moriah, in 

 Jerusalem. Here the Samaritans believe 

 that Abraham prepared to offer up in 

 sacrifice his only son, and just behind 

 is the place where the ram was found 

 caught in the thicket. 



Almost at our feet, far below, in the 

 plain of Askar (Sychar), lay Jacob's 

 well, concealed beneath an uncompleted 

 church erected upon Crusader founda- 

 tions. Under the spell of the hour and 

 the scene, one could almost picture the 

 Samaritan woman pointing to Gerizim 

 and saying to Jesus, "Our fathers wor- 

 shiped in this mountain, and ye say that 

 in Jerusalem is the place where men 

 ought to worship" (John 4: 20). 



THE SAMARITAN HOLY OF HOLIES 



In the center of the plateau is a large 

 flat rock which the Samaritans call 

 "Kuds el Akdas" ; for, according to their 

 tradition, it formed the Holy of Holies 

 of their temple. They approach it only 

 on certain festal occasions and with bared 

 feet. This rock at once calls to mem- 

 ory the rival Rock Moriah lying beneath 

 the gorgeous Dome of the Rock in 

 Jerusalem. 



Although less extensive than that from 

 its taller mate, Mt. Ebal, which cuts off 

 the distant Galilee view northward, the 

 scene from Gerizim is broad and grand. 

 In the spring the Plain of Moreh, or 

 Sychar, just at its feet, is a patchwork of 

 small fields in different stages of growth. 

 Near the village of Askar (Sychar), 

 watered from a copious spring, large 

 patches of onions and garlic flourish, 

 their green varying with that of the wav- 

 ing barley and wheat beyond and con- 

 trasting with the bare and rocky sur- 

 rounding hills. The elevations are dotted 

 with villages, and among them, to the 

 southward, is Awerta, where, under the 

 shade of a great tree, the tombs of 



Aaron's son and grandson, Eleazer and 

 Phinehas, lie. 



Directly to the east, separated from the 

 foreground by the deep Jordan chasm, rise 

 the Mountains of Gilead. Like Moab, of 

 which they are a continuation northward, 

 they are suffused with a mysterious and 

 fascinating translucent blue, resembling 

 some precious stone, and never cease to 

 captivate the vision, especially upon clear 

 days. The highest peak, Jebel Osha, 

 crowned by the reputed tomb of Hosea, 

 stands out conspicuously. Towering at 

 the head of the Jordan Valley, Hermon, 

 with its perennial snow-cap, closes the 

 northern limit of this eastern view. 



At the foot of Mt. Ebal and bordering 

 upon the plain directly below us are the 

 excavations of ancient Shechem. Near 

 them a small white dome marks the tra- 

 ditional site of the tomb of Joseph. 

 Southward the view stretches over the 

 long mountain range which is the back- 

 bone of Palestine, rising between the 

 Phoenician plain and the deep Jordan 

 chasm. When viewed from the Mediter- 

 ranean, the only break seen in the range 

 is this Valley of Nablus, while its rivals 

 in historic importance, Jerusalem and 

 Hebron, are hidden from view. Mizpah 

 is easily visible, but no glimpse of Jeru- 

 salem save a little of its suburbs under 

 favorable conditions. 



Turning westward, the mountains and 

 hill country, dotted with villages, drop off 

 gently into a plain which extends to the 

 blue Mediterranean. The ruins of Cassa- 

 rea, which under Roman rule became the 

 most important city and seaport in Pales- 

 tine, and often connected with the history 

 of the Apostles and the early Church, are 

 visible under favorable conditions ; also 

 the orange groves of Jaffa. 



Now the sun is soon setting, and we 

 shall have to hurry back to camp if we 

 are to see all the service which com- 

 memorates the Exodus from Egypt. 



PRAYER POSTURE AND ROBES SIMILAR 

 TO MOSLEMS 



As we descend, white-robed figures are 

 seen collecting about the smoking trench- 

 altar. As they slowly gather one by one 

 they spread on the ground small prayer 

 cloths, upon which they stand with bare 



