Samaritan High Priest Laid to Rest
Chanting prayers in ancient Hebrew, descendants of the biblical Samaritans buried their high priest Monday on a holy mountain where they still offer animal sacrifices to God.
About 100 of the remaining 530 members of a community once dispersed across the Middle East paid their final respects to Yaacov Ben-Uzi, 88, who died Monday at his home in Nablus, the largest Arab town in the occupied West Bank.
The Samaritans, persecuted throughout history, now comprise just five extended families. They trace their roots to the Hebrew tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and, like the Jews, base their ritual law on the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses.
The story in St. Luke’s Gospel of how a Good Samaritan came to the aid of a traveler robbed and injured by thieves has made the name synonymous with mercy and compassion.
Ben-Uzi was buried on 2,890-foot-high Mt. Gerizim, revered by the Samaritans. He was buried according to tradition, with his feet pointing to the mountain so he will always face its peak. Each year on the mount, the Samaritans observe the Passover festival by sacrificing sheep and roasting them on wooden skewers.
Ben-Uzi, a journalist who wrote about his community for several Israeli newspapers, led the closely knit Samaritans for three years. Half of the members live in Nablus, the others in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon.
Menashe Tzedaka, 33, a member of the community, said it will observe seven days of mourning, similar to the Jewish shiva.
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