dyer. Thence it is a day's journey to Sebastiya, which is the city of
Shomron (Samaria), and here the ruins of the palace of Ahab the son of
Omri may be seen. It was formerly a well-fortified city by the
mountain-side, with streams of water. It is still a land of brooks of
water, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and olive groves, but no Jews
dwell here. Thence it is two parasangs to Nablous, which is Shechem on
Mount Ephraim, where there are no Jews; the place is situated in the
valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and contains about 1,000
Cuthim, who observe the written law of Moses alone, and are called
Samaritans.

[p.33]

They have priests of the seed (of Aaron), and they call them Aaronim,
who do not intermarry with Cuthim, but wed only amongst
themselves[72]. These priests offer sacrifices, and bring
burnt-offerings in their place of assembly on Mount Gerizim, as it is
written in their law--"And thou shalt set the blessing on Mount
Gerizim." They say that this is the proper site of the Temple. On
Passover and the other festivals they offer up burnt-offerings on the
altar which they have built on Mount Gerizim, as it is written in
their law--"Ye shall set up the stones upon Mount Gerizim, of the
stones which Joshua and the children of Israel set up at the Jordan."
They say that they are descended from the tribe of Ephraim. And in the
midst of them is the grave of Joseph, the son of Jacob our father, as
it is written--"and the bones of Joseph buried they in Shechem[73]."
Their alphabet lacks three letters, namely [Hebrew:] He, [Hebrew:]
Heth, and [Hebrew:] Ain[74]. The letter [Hebrew:] He is taken from
Abraham our father, because they have no dignity, the letter [Hebrew:]
Heth from Isaac, because they have no kindliness, and the letter