Samaritan Museum

Site description: A private museum established by Priest Husni, a member of the Samaritan community, in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, opened to visitors in 2010 AD. The museum consists of a ground floor with an area of about 250 square meters, which includes an exhibition hall, an administrative office, and health facilities. The museum aims to provide a detailed definition of the Samaritan sect, its religion, and the historical and religious narrative of this sect since the most ancient times. The importance of this museum is reinforced by its specialization in the march of this sect, which is considered the world's smallest and oldest living religious sect. The exhibit in the museum was divided into two parts:The first section relates to the interpretation of the Samaritan law, the various rituals and festivals, the origins of this sect from an ethnic point of view, and the traditional dress of its people. This process included displaying several models, pictures, documents, manuscripts, and various costumes, and a part of the hall was allocated for the seats designated for visitors to listen to the explanation provided by the museum's curators.The second section of the exhibit includes several exhibit cabinets for pottery, glass, metal, and other archaeological pieces, tools, and materials.The museum provides a detailed exposition of the Samaritan language (ancient Hebrew), a structure for the genealogy of Samaritan families, and details for calculating the date through the Samaritan calendar, which is unique to them. Among the most important exhibits is a model of the summit of Mount Gerizim, which shows their sanctuaries, and how they practice their religious rituals there.