"Most people are not aware that Samaritans still exist," laments Abood (Ovadia in Hebrew), who lives on Mount Gerizim in the West Bank, along with about 800 other Samaritans. He is part of one of the smallest and oldest religious communities in the world, a branch of Judaism. "We feel like Samaritans, Israelis, and Palestinians," says the 30-year-old man. A multiple identity that he proudly embraces, which has allowed him to have a certain openness to others and to the world, despite a way of life governed by strict community rules.
Abood works as a tour guide on Mount Gerizim, a holy and symbolic place for the Samaritan community. They believe that many of the events in the Torah took place on this mountain. From his window, Abood has a panoramic view of Nablus; he lives in both Area A and Area C of the West Bank. "This is an advantage because we benefit from Israeli postal services and their speed. In our garage, we also receive packages for Palestinians who use our address. They obviously go through checks, which helps them get their packages faster," says Abood.
After obtaining a degree in marketing from An-Najah University in Nablus, one of the best in the Arab world, Abood decided to promote his community by organizing tourist tours on Mount Gerizim.
"Fifteen years ago, my uncle built a small center next to his house to explain what the Samaritans are to the world, and I quickly realized that people were really interested because we have a unique history and culture, and traditions passed down through generations. I started by learning more about myself and my history, then shared this knowledge with foreign tourists, as well as with Israelis and many schoolchildren who visit us. I organize tours of about 5 hours, which include the Samaritan museum and the place where the lamb sacrifice is performed during Passover. People love it because it’s an unforgettable experience for them," he says.
Traditions that differ from Judaism
The Samaritans observe a form of Judaism that is somewhat different from that of other Jews in the world. For them, Shabbat lasts 24 hours instead of 25. On this occasion, they wear a special garment called the Umbaz, which is a kind of long tallit.
They traditionally welcome Shabbat by gathering with family for a cup of tea and cakes, then they go to bed after the Kiddush around 9 p.m., because prayers begin at 3 a.m. They also have the habit of praying on the floor without shoes, as in Islam, because they believe several prophets prayed in this manner.
"We celebrate the same holidays as Jews, but we do them differently. For example, at Passover, we perform the lamb sacrifice, which Jews do not do. During Sukkot, we arrange the fruits in the sukkah differently, placing about 300 pomegranates. At Rosh Hashanah, our prayers can last more than 16 hours and are also performed differently. What we have in common is the Hoomash (Torah), but even in this, there are more than 6,000 different words," Abood explains.
Regarding their genealogical ancestry, the Samaritans claim to descend from two sons of Joseph (son of Jacob), Ephraim and Manasseh. Their religion, sometimes called Samaritanism, is one of the oldest branches of Judaism, separated from what would become orthodox Judaism between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. It is based on the Samaritan Pentateuch, with Samaritans rejecting the later books of the Hebrew Bible. Unlike most branches of Judaism, Samaritans do not consider the oral tradition that forms the Talmud. Appearing before the development of rabbinic Judaism, they do not have rabbis.
Today, while the Samaritan community is primarily established on Mount Gerizim, some live in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv. They left Nablus in the 1920s and 1930s for Jaffa, before settling in Holon.
A complex identity
On Mount Gerizim, Samaritans speak Ancient Hebrew or Arabic and also learn modern Hebrew, usually at university or on their workplace. They hold the three identities of Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian. "At home, we speak Arabic. I learned modern Hebrew when studying the Torah, during my studies, and also when I worked for 4 years in Israel," says Abood.
He claims that his Palestinian neighbors "recognize Samaritans by their Israeli license plate, they think we are Arab Israelis because we speak Arabic. We have never had any problems with them. Some think we support Israel but don't want to say it. After October 7, not much changed, but Palestinians feared the army might cause problems," he says.
Some Samaritans enlist in the army, mostly those who live in Holon. Abood chose not to serve due to his proximity to Palestinians; he feared they might resent him for defending the State of Israel.
"We love Israel, of course. Since the creation of the State, our financial and security situation has improved, as have our rights. We can vote both in Israeli and Palestinian elections. We have a strong sense of belonging to the people of Israel, but we also feel Palestinian, because we have lived in the West Bank for generations. Of course, that doesn’t mean we agree with everything the Palestinians do, especially not with Hamas!" says Abood.
Abood confides that he has "a small part of Israel and a small part of Palestine within me. For the rest, our identity is based on respecting the Torah and the mitzvot."
Samaritans generally live among themselves and do not mix with other populations. For marriage, they must marry within the community or convert the other person to Samaritanism. "If a Samaritan meets a Jewish girl or someone of another religion, she must adopt our way of life and rules. It is her husband who teaches her, and during the marriage, she becomes a true Samaritan," says Abood.
"If we want to go abroad for a long time, for holidays or studies, it’s complicated, because the community questions it," he laments.
In search of emancipation, Abood has started writing a book of about forty pages in English over the past two years. He also opened his own YouTube channel where he posts Samaritan melodies and live talks on the weekly parasha in Ancient Hebrew. Abood also used the platform to share a documentary about the life of the Samaritans made by Arte in 2017, in which he was the main actor. "I want our culture to be exposed to as many people as possible", Abood concluded.
Caroline Haïat
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