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The Samaritan Passover Sacrifice The Samaritans practice a literal interpretation of the Torah, the five books of Moses, ignoring the Oral Law and Rabbinical understanding. Among their practices are the sacrifice of the Pascal Lamb. The Sacrifice takes place annually on Mount Grizim during the early Spring, the first month of the Samaritan calendar. The ritual slaughter takes place at sunset and the Pascal Lamb is eaten at midnight. This year (2007) we went to Mount Grizim to watch the celebration. Of primary interest are the similarities and the differences between their practice and those described in Rabbinic sources. We found the Samaritans very open and friendly, keen to explain their practice and how it is exactly what is required by the Torah.
A warning before you look at the photographs: the service includes the slaughter of about forty lambs.
These are then prepared for cooking on large skewers. Blood is smeared on foreheads of the participants.
The innards are extracted and burnt on an altar.
The carcass is salted and then cooked before the meat is eaten. I hope that my photographs give a sense of the atmosphere at the event. Press here to view the photographs from Mount Grizim. |