Samaria: Hills of Ephraim, Mt. Gerazim. Shiloh.

The photograph above depicts Mt. Gerazim and Mt. Ebal, the mountains where Israel ratified the covenant with Yahweh in Joshua 8:30. As Moses commanded in Deuteronomy 28, the blessings were to be shouted from Mt. Gerazim and the curses were to be shouted from Mt. Ebal. The tribes were divided between the two, to stand at the base of the mountains and listen.

Earlier in the week, Dr. Wright asked if someone would offer to memorize Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and shout the blessings from Mt. Gerazim, where we were going. I raised my hand before my brain fully realized what I was volunteering to do - my body recognized before the rest of me the incredible opportunity to proclaim the blessings from their birthplace. It felt close to the action of remembering and honoring that we practice in the theatre. And so, when we travelled to Mt. Gerazim, I stood behind our group and shouted them out (Bible in hand, since my nerves tend to erase words from my mind). I was trembling so badly I was sure I was about to lose my footing and tumble down the rocks below. It was simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating and holy, and I was so thankful for that opportunity - I'll never forget it.

Then, after I was finished, a deaf student named Noah stood and signed all of the blessings in ASL. For any of you have been to his shows, you know the power and beauty in such an embodied language. The two together brought so much more than just the one. What splendor when languages come together to praise the Lord and remember His goodness!

After, we traveled up to the Samaritan community, a Jewish sect which believes the Bible stops at Deuteronomy. They believe in the sanctification of Mt. Gerazim rather than Jerusalem. Conversation with the priest was fascinating. Sometimes listening to all the different beliefs of all the different groups grows overwhelming and confusing, but this time wasn't that bad. The Samaritans' numbers have dwindled significantly - if I remember correctly, I think that there are only 300 people who live in this community on top of Mt. Gerazim! We toured around the community, traveling to an orthodox church where the site of the Samaritan temple used to be, looking out over the land. Below us was Nabilis, a formerly embattled site of Hamas which has since turned its weapons in. We drove down there to go to the church that remembers the well where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman -- and this time, the church is built over an actual well which might actually be the well Jesus sat at! The abundance of springs in the area mean that most people don't bother digging wells, so there are very few. Furthermore this well is actually from the first century. We got to draw water from it and drink from it!

After Samaria, we went to Shiloh, the site Joshua chose for the location of the tabernacle. It's also the location where Hannah came to pray for a child and received a blessing from Eli, and where Samuel grew up. It's also where the Israelites lost the ark of the covenant to the Philistines. It's a golden, light-aired kind of place, also located in the Hills of Ephraim.

Well, our first exam is soon, and it's over all of the hours and hours of information we've been slammed with over the past week. I'm a little worried, so I'm off to study :) Have a wonderful day!

Oh, P.S.: the photo below is of Sarah Dulin, one of my teammates, at Shiloh. Isn't it - and she! - lovely??