(2.) The New Moon. — Next in frequency, but not in importance, to the observance of the Sabbath is that of the new moon, the i-eosh hadesh, equivalent to the Jew- ish rosh chodesh. The new moon is sacredly watched for, and the afternoon immediately following its ap- pearance, about half-past four, the Samaritans assemble in the synagogue to perform the appointed service. It consists of prescribed prayers composed for the occasion, intermixed with portions of the law, especially those referring to the beginning of months (Numb, x, 10; xxviii, 11-14). During the recital of the service, the ■whole of which lasts about two hours, the minister ex- hibits one of the roll-copies of the Pentateuch to the congregation.
(3.) The Feasts and Fasts. — The Samaritans are not given to festivals. In this they greatly differ from their Jewish brethren, as well as from some Christian communities. In the Jewish calendar there are above thirty such seasons of greater or less importance; but in the Samaritan only eight, six of which are com- manded in the law, the other two being less important. These are the following :
(«.) Kai-aban Aphsah, or Jewish HO^t^ 50, Pass- over. This is the memorial of their great national de- liverance from Egypt (Exod. xii). The time of its celebration is the fifteenth day of their month Nisan, in the evening of the day ; but should that happen to be a Sabbath, the feast is held on the previous day. Its place of celebration is Mount Gerizim, which they found upon Exod. iii, 18. Therefore, early on the morn- ing of the fourteenth day the whole community, with few exceptions, close their dwellings in the city, and clamber up the Mount, on the top of which, and in front of the ruins of their ancient temple, they pitch their tents in a circle. The lambs, five or six in number, and "without blemish," are brought on the tenth day, and during the intervening days are carefully kept, and cleanly washed as a sort of purification to fit them for the paschal service (comp. John v, 2). On the sacred spot, near the tents, a fire is kindled, over which two IX.— U
built."
8. Hole where the paschal sheep are roasted.
9. Trench where they are eaten.
10. Platform for the celebration of the Passover.
11. Hole where the water is boiled.
caldrons full of water are placed. Another fire is kin- dled close by in a kind of circular pit sunk into the ground, where the lambs are to be roasted. At sunset the lambs are slaughtered by five or six young men dressed in blue robes of unbleached calico, having their loins girded, who dip their fingers in the streaming blood and with it mark the foreheads and noses of the children. The boiling water is carefully poured over the dead lambs, and, when fleeced, the right fore-legs, which belong to the prio.st, are removed and placed on wood already laid for the purpose, together with the entrails; salt is added, and they are then burned. The lambs are now spitted and lowered into the oven. The spit is a long pole thrust through from head to tail, near the end of which is placed a transverse peg to prevent the carcass from slipping off. At midnight the lambs are taken up, when the paschal feast com- mences. A large copper dish filled with unleavened cakes and bitter herbs rolled up together is brought in and distributed among the congregation, all the adults wearing a kind of girdle around their waist, with staves in their hands, according to the command (Exod. xii, 11). The lambs are then laid upon carpets and strewn over with bitter herbs, all the congregation, i. e. the men, standing in two rows, one on each side of the lambs. During all this time, a long and tedious service peculiar to the day is recited by the two officials in turn, and when the reading has arrived at a certain point, all the expectant auditors stoop at once, and, as if in haste and hunger, tear away the flesh piecemeal with their fingers, and carry portions to the females and little ones in the tents. In a few minutes the whole disappears except some fragments, which are carefidly gathered up, not a particle being left, which, with the bones, are all burned in a fire kindled for that purpose (Exod. xii, 10). On the follov/ing day rejoic- ings continue; fish, rice, and eggs are eaten, wine and spirits are drunk, and hymns, generally impromptu, are sung. Here we may observe that those who are unable to keep the Passover on this day may do so on the same day of the following month; but this second celebra- tion is not kept on the hill, but in their own quarter in the city.
(b.) Moed Aphsah, answering to the Jewish 5rt niSBtl, or Feast of Unleavened Cakes. Although this feast is intimately connected with the former, still, strict- ly speaking, they are two distinct solemnities, the Feast of the Passover commemorating the protection given them when the first-born of the Egyptians were slain, and that of the Unleavened Bread commemorating the beginning of their march out of Egypt. The distinction of the two feasts is more marked in the Samaritan than in the Jewish mode of their celebration. On the pre- ceding dav of the feast, everv familv removes all leaven-