STILL MORE WEDNESDAY :)

 

We left the church and headed up Mount Gerizim, the holy mountain where the Samaritan village is.  Pictures above show Father Ibrahim looking down on Nablus from atop the mountain, and his daughter, Ranim to the right.  The beautiful palace on one of the hills belongs to the wealthiest man of Nablus.  He is responsible for building the new university and hospital in Nablus.  He's an incredibly generous man with a heart for his Palestinian brothers and sisters. 
As we wound our way to the top, we went through a closed checkpoint. Settlers have found there way to this mountain...they are also employed to work at an ancient excavation site.  As we entered the village, there was a museum and the sacrificial area for worship and slaughtering offerings just as they have done for thousands of years.  As of 2012, there were only 751 of this sect of people in the world.  To try to explain their history would take a whole blog unto itself, so I suggest going to the following link from a reporter or using Wikipedia for information. 
We were invited into the home of one of the high officials and made welcome for Allie's visit and interview.  He talked of his linage and family tree traced back to Adam as his son and grandchildren ran in and out of the house.  His wife came in long enough to serve us tea and wrapped sweets.  There are strict laws about touching and eating certain foods. 
I asked about the wire rack above our heads in the living room and his son flipped open his phone to show us a picture.  During Passover, the rack is filled with a large design made of fruit that is share by the family during the holidays.  Although they accept only the first 5 books of the Bible and claim their lineage from the tribe of Levi and the son's of Joseph, they are quick to reprimand if called Jewish. 

 

If you want to learn more about this group here is a link also:
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/06/03/visiting-the-samaritans-on-their-holy-west-bank-mountain/



The family graciously allowed us to take photos in the living room.  This was truly a rare opportunity.  We gathered up our things and headed down the mountain to meet some of the workcamp gang to visit the university where they attend school. 

 

The An-Najah National University is right in the center of Nablus.  The old campus has quickly become overcrowded, so a Palestinian philanthropist built a new campus and also a hospital where the medical students also serve internships.  Nidal, Fadi, Ranim and Ameed all attend classes here.  The curriculum is outstanding.  We were taken around to all the buildings by our workcampers and a host guide from the university.  Out of over 20,000 students only just over 50 are Christians.  The university , like the city is predominantly Muslim.  It's beautiful and full of life.  Below are photos of the campus and our tour group....so impressive, and they are so proud of the campus!