The Samaritan Museum (المتحف السامري) preserves the history, manuscripts and material culture of Nablus’s Samaritan community on Mount Gerizim. Founded in…
The Samaritan Museum (المتحف السامري) preserves the history, manuscripts and material culture of Nablus’s Samaritan community on Mount Gerizim. Founded in 1997 in the Samaritan quarter of Kiryat Luza, the museum was established with the support of the Palestinian leadership and was rehabilitated in 2010 through cooperation between the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and UNESCO. Its collections include Samaritan Torah manuscripts, historical documents, pottery, glass and metal objects, oil lamps, stone artefacts, books, ceremonial textiles and material explaining the Samaritan calendar. The Samaritans of Mount Gerizim The Samaritans are an ancient community centred on the Torah of Nabi Musa (AS). Their religious tradition is built around belief in the oneness of Allah, Nabi Musa (AS), the Torah, the Last Day and the sanctity of Mount Gerizim. Samaritan Arabic remains part of the community’s daily life, while Samaritan Hebrew and Aramaic are preserved in its writings and worship. Mount Gerizim rises immediately south of Nablus, facing Mount Ebal across the valley occupied by the city. Archaeological work on its summit has uncovered a large settlement from the Persian and Hellenistic periods, organised around a fortified sacred precinct. The museum stands close to the Samaritan synagogue and the ground used by the community for its annual Passover sacrifice. A record kept within the community The museum’s displays trace Samaritan families, high priests, festivals, script and religious practice. Models and illustrated material place the objects within the sacred geography of Mount Gerizim, linking the surviving community of Kiryat Luza with the much older settlement uncovered on the summit.