THE SAMARITAN PASSOVER OF THE YEAR 18(51. 



219 



Discussion. 



The Chairman. — am sure, ladies and gentlemen, this paper is 

 not likely to provoke any discussion. 



Canon Girdlestone has been obliged to leave, and he has asked me 

 to discharge the duties of Chairman at the close of the meeting ; 

 but before leaving he gave me the name of Mrs. Finn from 

 Jerusalem, and I shall be very glad to hear something from her. 



Mrs. Finn, M.K.A.S. — It has given me much pleasure to hear 

 Canon Hammond's interesting account of the celebration of the 

 Samaritan Passover which he witnessed in the year 1861, and the 

 more so as it was my dear husband, the late Mr. James Finn, who 

 when Consul at Jerusalem obtained permission for the Samaritans to 

 resume their Passover service and sacrifice on Mount Gerizim after 

 many years during which the local authorities had prevented their 

 observance. The British Government had directed Mr. Finn to 

 befriend the interesting little Samaritan community, who were 

 exposed to many petty annoyances from their rough Moslem neigh- 

 bours in Nablous (Shechem). The latter were, however, not unwilling 

 to be on pleasant terms with the British Consul, who was thus able 

 to obtain, in a quiet way, redress for many vexatious little acts of 

 aggression. The Samaritan High Priest on behalf of his people 

 petitioned that they might be allowed to hold their Passover service 

 and sacrifice on Mount Gerizim as of old. Mr. Finn communicated 

 this to Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, Sir Stratford 

 Canning, who was ever ready to use British influence on behalf of 

 the oppressed, and to secure civil and religious liberty for all classes 

 and creeds in the Ottoman Empire. And in those days, British 

 influence was great, and it was never exerted in vain. The then 

 Sultan, Abdul Medjid, highly valued the friendship of the British 

 nation and of the British Ambassador, and he at once issued orders 

 that henceforth the Samaritans be no more molested in their 

 religious observances. The Samaritans were, and are still most 

 grateful for the kindness shown to them, and they have made many 

 British travellers (among them H.M. the King, when Prince of Wales 

 in 1862") welcome at their Passover service since the celebration was 

 restored. While listening to the learned and important paper on 

 the Samaritan Pentateuch which has just been read by the Rev. 



