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Passover Night
While the Jews continue to observe
Passover annually, they have not practiced this observance completely
since the destruction of the Temple. The Samaritans had separated
from Jewish practice long before, and their sacrifice observations were
unconnected, and thus unaffected, by the destruction of Jerusalem in 70
AD. Their practice of the Passover continues much as it was
millennia ago. |
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The High Priest
The Samaritans believe that their
High Priest is a direct descendant of Aaron, however, the last in the
line died in 1624. Since then the religious head of the Samaritans
has been known as "The Priest" (HaKohen). Recent
estimates number the Samaritan population today at 560, up from 139 in
1909. About half live on Mt. Gerizim and the other half in Holon. |
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The Lamb
The Samaritans follow the five books
of Moses only, and their version is slightly modified from the Jewish
Masoretic Text (e.g., substituting Mt. Gerizim for Mt. Ebal).
According to Moses, the Passover lamb was to be brought home on the 10th
of Nisan and slain on the 14th. Children would have been witness
to the observance. |
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The Sacrifice The
service starts near about sunset. The Samaritan men are dressed in white
garments, the leaders wear red hats, and the priests are dressed in a
distinctive turquoise garb. The Samaritans chant and pray until the signal is given, and the head of each household reaches for his knife to
slice the throat of his family’s lamb. |
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Roasting the Lamb
As
soon as the lamb is slain, the Samaritans celebrate. About thirty-five
sheep are killed in the modern observance, about one for each larger
family unit. Then the sheep are skinned and put on a skewer and carried
over to one of the 2-3 meter deep roasting pits to be cooked for most of
the night. |
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