3. Divorce. — The Samaritans are not given to di- vorcement, and in this matter they stand in singular contrast to their Jewish and jMohammedan neighbors. Their modern theology at least forbids it, except only for the cause of fornication, but their strict conformity to this dogma under all circumstances is very doubtful.
4. Purificatiom. — There are seven things that partic- ularh' defile a person, four of which relate to both sexes, the remaining three pertaining to the female: (1) the conjugal act; (2) nocturnal pollution ; (3) touching any dead body ; (-1) touching unclean birds, quadrupeds, or reptiles; (5) a female from hemorrhage; (6) a female's menstrual discharge, when she remains unclean for sev- en days; (7) child-birth, when the mother is accounted unclean for forty-one days if the child be male, but if female for eighty days. On account of these defile- ments they purify themselves most scrupulously. For- merly, when sacrifices used to be offered, the ashes of a burned heifer were kept to be mixed with running wa- ter and sprinkled on the unclean person bj' one that was clean according to the law (Numb, xix, 17-19), Now running water only is used. The washing of hands as a rite of purification at rising and before eating, etc., as the Jews do, is never observed by the Samaritans; they simplj' do it for the purpose of cleansing, and not as a religious ceremony (com p. jNFark vii, 3, 4).
5. Morning and Erenin;/ Prayer. — The first duty on rising is to repeat the morning prayer, which is long and tedious. It is generally offered by each individu- al in private, although there is no law against its being performed in the presence of the family. Any one is at liberty to repeat this or any other prayer as often as he pleases during the day, but the rnorning and even- ing orisons must on no account be neglected, and must be said in the early morning and at sunset. This, like all their other prayers, is a set one in the Hebrew tongue, and consequently not understood except by some one or two besides the priest. Still, the sacred- ness of the language, combined with the antiquity of the formida, imparts to it a kind of hallowedness, which has a strange hold upon the conscience of the people. During the prayer they always turn towards Mount Gerizim.
6. Pood. — When they sit to eat, a blessing is pro- nounced before the food is served. This duty devolves upon the head of the family. They make the broadest distinction in articles of diet; adhering faithfully to the law of Moses, and attaching the greatest importance to its observance. They never eat the tiesh of any beast that does not chew the cud and divide -the hoof (Lev. xi, 3-8; Deut, xiv, 6-8), and swine are held in the greatest detestation. All kinds of ])oultry, except those notified as unclean (Lev. xi, 13-25), are considered law- ful, as well as all fish that liave fins and scales (Lev. xi, 9-12). Like tlie .Jews, they never partake of fiesh and butter (or milk) at the same meal, nor do they even place them on the table at the same time. Six hours must elapse after partaking of meat before milk or but- ter can be taken. The .lews found this custom on the passage, " Thou slialt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk" (Exod. xxiii, 19), but the Samaritans refuse it the importance of a law of iMoses, and only observe it as a sanatory rule laid down by their sages. They hold it unlawful to eat anything jirepared by either Jews or Gentiles, therefore they make their own bread, cheese,
SAMARITANS, MODERN 303 SAMARITANS, MODERN
baiuiuitiuis at Prayer ou Mouut Gerizim. (From a Photogiaj)!!.)
butter, etc. Cattle and poultry too must be slaughter- ed by their own s/iochet, or killer, who has to pass through a course of study and training before he is qualified to kill according to the numerous rules pre- scribed by their sages.
7. Duties towards the Bead. — The Samaritans, like the Jews, teach the dying person to saj' as his last words, ,,"The Lord our God is one Lord." This last utterance must be in the Hebrew, therefore all their people, wom- en and children, are most carefully taught this phrase. The relations of the dead never rend their clothes, as they consider it to be contrary to the will of God. Nor have they any fixed time to mourn, or formula to re- peat over the departed. With them it is simply a mat- ter of feeling; some mourn for a long and some for a shorter time. But to indulge in grief is discouraged, forasmuch as the high-priest was forbidden to mourn for the dead (Lev. xxi, 10) ; so they consider the re- frainraent from it to be a proof of a more thorough obedience to the will of God and a higher religious state of mind. As anciently, the house wherein the dead body lies is rendered unclean (Numb, xix, 14), and the priest carefullj^ avoids crossing its threshold (Lev. xxi, 11).
As soon as the dying person has expired, they per- form the ceremony of iTini? (tahurah), purification, by washing the body carefully with clean running water. This is done by individuals appointed to that duty from among themselves, after which it is wrapped in a cotton shroud (John xi, W), and then placed in a wood- en cotiin. It is curious to observe that no other natives of any creed use coffins; the Samaritans, however, scrupulously follow the example set them by their fa- ther Joseph (Gen. 1, 26). When a death is expected, the law is read in the chainl)er of the sick, not bv the priest, but by one appointeil for that purpose. As soon as all hope of recovery is given up, the reading begins, is continued to the patient's death, and again resumed after the iuharah, and continued to Numb, xxx, 1. After arranging the funeral procession, the reading is once more proceeded with until the whole law be read.