COLLECTING FOR EVENING PRAYERS ON GERIZIM 



Before all prayers the Samaritan observes prescribed ablutions, almost identical with the 

 present customs of the Moslems, and like them he now spreads his prayer cloth. 



by its hind legs on a long pole resting on 

 the shoulders of two of the men. The 

 work of removing the offal, the heart, 

 liver, and lungs is done by lantern light. 

 Great care is taken throughout this in- 

 spection not to mutilate a bone, for the 

 command "neither shall ye break a bone 

 thereof" is strictly observed. Any car- 

 cass found ritually unfit is put on the 

 burning altar and consumed with the 

 offal. This, however, is a rare exception. 

 The last. time it happened was some five 

 years ago, when a lamb was found minus 

 a kidney. 



Unlike the Jews, who will not eat of 

 the hind quarters of any animal until all 

 the sinews have been entirely removed, 

 the Samaritans claim to know exactly the 

 cord the angel touched while wrestling 

 with Jacob at the ford of the Jabbok. and 

 now a deep incision is made in the flank 

 and it is taken out. "And Jacob was left 

 alone ; and there wrestled a man with 

 him. And when he saw that he prevailed 

 not against him, he touched the hollow 

 of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's 

 thigh was out of joint. . . . There- 

 fore the children of Israel eat not of the 



37 



