Time and setting
The Samaritan Passover sacrifice takes place on Mount Gerizim at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month of the Samaritan calendar. The gathering brings the community together under priestly leadership.
The ceremony
The High Priest leads the sacrifice prayer. Experienced slaughterers perform the ritual slaughter of sheep, and community members prepare the animals according to their religious requirements. White clothing is prominent in the ceremony.
The meal and its meaning
The sheep are roasted in heated ovens. Unleavened bread and bitter herbs accompany the observance. The festival is understood through the Torah’s account of departure from Egypt; it is a continuing religious obligation rather than a performance staged for visitors.
Sources & further reading
- Israelite Samaritan Information Institute — Passover ↗Ritual documentation