GERIZIM, MOUNT

Arabic Jabal At-tur, Hebrew Har Gerizim, mountain in Samaria, central Palestine, just south of Nabulus and the site of biblical Shechem. In modern times, it was in mandated Palestine 192348, and subsequently in Jordan 195067. Since 1967, it has been part of the West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) territory under Israeli administration. Rising to 2,890 ft (881 m) above sea level, it is a twin of Mt. Ebal (Hebrew Har 'Eval, Arabic Jabal 'Aybal; 3,084 ft ) just north. Separating the two is a valley, about 700 ft deep, through which passes one of the few eastwest routes of the central Palestine hill country; the mountain was of strategic importance from remote antiquity. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as the site where God was to pronounce blessing on the Jewish people (the curse was placed on Mt. Ebal; Deuteronomy 11:29). The ceremony was solemnly performed in Joshua's time (Josh. 8). The mountain is referred to in the Talmud, the normative rabbinic compendium of law and tradition, and in the writings of the Roman-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (1st century AD). The Samaritans (q.v.), a small Jewish sect, built a shrine there during the early Second Temple period (4th century BC) and directed their prayers there, instead of to Jerusalem. This sect, which exists in very small numbers, has altered all references in its Bible (consisting only of the Five Books of Moses) pertaining to Jerusalem, Zion, etc., to refer instead to Mt. Gerizim. The members of the group, who live chiefly on the mountain slopes and in adjacent Nabulus, still perform the sacrifice of the paschal lamb on Passover according to literal biblical injunction; this ceremony attracts many tourists. Although the original Samaritan sanctuary was on the mountain's summit, it is now performed lower down on the slopes, because of an ancient Muslim cemetery at the peak, which defiles it to the Samaritans. The modern Arabic name is from the Samaritan Tura Berikha: Mount of Blessing.