Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/276

269 Manasseh and Ephraim, and their priest is said to be lineally descended from a branch of the tribe of Levi, by whom their services have been conducted throughout all generations. Priest Amran explained this to me, and then said, "Alas, I have no son! I have no son to whom to teach the holy language, no son to assist me in the services, no son to inherit the priesthood. God forbid that I should be the last of my race, and leave my people without a priest!"

It was a cause of bitter sorrow to the Samaritans when, some time ago, the last male representative of the Aaronic family died; for he was the last of their hereditary high priests—the last to offer sacrifices for them. They are obliged now to limit their ministrations to such services as may legally be performed by Priest Amran and his father, who represent the tribe of Levi, of whom it is written, that the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, "Present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation, before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle." (See Num. iii, 5, etc.)

And again it is written, that God spoke unto Moses, and said, "Thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him and sanctify him; and thou shalt anoint his sons, and their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout all generations." And unto Aaron God said, "Ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; and thy brethren the Levites [such as Amran and his father] shall keep the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die." (See Num. xviii.)

With these verses before me, and knowing the character of the Samaritans, their belief in the true descent of their priests, their implicit faith in the Divine inspiration of the Tora, and their consequent reliance on the efficacy of ceremonial services, I can well imagine their desolation when