| KARAITES (FROM THE ROOT KARO, TO READ, THE ONES THAT FOLLOW THE
SCRIPTURES) THE KARAIM WERE A CISMATIC SECT THAT SEAPRATED FROM
THE MAIN BRANCH OF JUDAISM IN BABILON, IF I STILL REMMEMBER WELL,
SOMEWHERE AROUND THE 5TH CENTURY BC. THEIR LEADER THEN WAS'ANAN
BEN 'ANAN AND THE MAIN ISSUE FOR THEIR SEVERANCE FROM THE MAIN STREAM
WAS THEIR RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT THE ADDITIONS TO THE SCTRICT
INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES CONTAINED IN THE HALACHA THAT EAS
EVOLVING IN THE FORM OF THE TALMUD. THERE IS STILL A KARAITE SINAGOGUE
IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM.
SAMARITANS: THEY SUPPOSEDLY DESCEND FROM THE PEOPLES BROUGHT IN
TO THE LAND OF SAMARIA BY THE BABILONIANS AFTER THEY EXCILED
AND DESTROYED THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. THOSE PEOPLES INTERMARRIED
WITH THE REMAINING ISRAELITES AND ADOPTED MANY (MOST) OF THE OLD
USES OF THE ISRAELITES, THEIR WRITING, THE PENTATEUCH -WITH SOME
DIFFERENCES WITH THE ACCEPTED VERSIONS, PASSOVER, ETC.
UNTIL TODAY THERE ARE GROUPS OF SAMARITANS LIVING NEAR SHCHEM (NABLUS)
AND HOLON AND THEY STILL GATHER ONCE A YEAR BY PASSOVER AT THE MOUNT
GERIZIM TO HAVE THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE, WHERE EACH FAMILY SLAUGHTERS
A LAMB AND EATS IT DURING PASSOVER EVE.
JUAN-CARLOS
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| >> UNTIL TODAY THERE ARE GROUPS OF SAMARITANS LIVING NEAR SHCHEM (NABLUS)
>> AND HOLON AND THEY STILL GATHER ONCE A YEAR BY PASSOVER AT THE MOUNT
>> GERIZIM TO HAVE THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE, WHERE EACH FAMILY SLAUGHTERS
>> A LAMB AND EATS IT DURING PASSOVER EVE.
This past summer, I visited a Samaritan family on Har G'rizim.
They took me to the place on Har G'rizim where they make the
Pesach sacrifices. Interesting that they all have houses
there that they only occupy during Pesach -- they live in
other houses (in other places) the rest of the year.
(Interesting visit!)
I did get from them a small, locally printed pamphlet on
the Samaritans. It includes a little on the language (Hebrew,
but pronounced quite a bit differently from Modern Hebrew),
customs, and laws.
I'd be willing to make a very limited number of xerox copies
for people who are really interested...Please send me mail;
don't reply here.
(Caveat: the English, the typography, and the paper are all
"not so good", so set your expectations appropriately!)
/don feinberg
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I attended the Samaritan Sacrifices on Har Grizim when I was in
Israel for the year three years ago. It is one of the more bizarre
religious rituals I have had the privilege to witness.
Most of the attendees were Samaritans (they allow a tiny number
of visitors each year). Because there are very few Samaritans left
in the world (a few hundred I think) and because they don't believe
in intermarriage, they are prone to genetic diseases, and a lot
of them are crippled or blind or both.
There were a lot of big families, and almost all of them brought
the family lamb along. Talk about eerie-- ever watch a four year
old kid patting his pet lamb, and tying a bright red bow around
its neck, as he says goodbye, right before the lamb gets the knife?
There's a lot of chanting, in which it's possible to make out a
few words of Hebrew and a little Arabic and a little what sounds
sorta like Aramaic but hard to tell. The sacrificers wear these
long flowing white robes with maroon turbans.
After the sacrifices are performed, the lambs are roasted, and
they carry around bite-sized tidbits for the crowds (only the
participants, not the visitors, luckily!)
I took photos, for the truly curious among you. But definitely
not recommended for after-lunch viewing. --Fern
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