An amazing treat was our lunch which was a Palestinian traditional meal with delightful hospitality and delicious food. Next stop was Mt Gerizim where we visited the Samaritan Museum and heard all about the Samaritans from a young Muslim woman with a young Samaritan woman adding occasional verification. The priest talked to us asking "who was the Good Samaritan?" "I am," he replied, "as I want all religions to know about us and who we are." I learned a lot about this community that still lives together today and practices their faith just as their ancestors did. We then went to the top of Mt Gerizim where we found the site Samaritans believe Abraham took Isaac and bound him for sacrifice. It's also the site they believe the 12 stones were taken by Joshua from the Jordan to mark the place where he entered the land. On the same site were the ruins of the Church of the Theotokos. Directly across from this Samaritan Holy space is a Jewish settlement!
This was a full day of Palestinian culture, pondering the land and space, new learnings, and bonding in our own community. It was an experience of place and listening and walking on holy ground. A good night's rest is in store after this gift of a holy day.
At Jacob's Well in Nablus, bringing up fresh water.
Our group at Mt Gerizim's Samaritan Museum with the Samaritan priest and scroll.