two days there.[6] On one occasion he meets with gratitude and true piety from a Samaritan only.[7] One of his most beautiful parables is that of the man wounded on the way to Jericho.  A priest passes by and sees him, but goes on his way; a Levite also passes, but does not stop; a Samaritan takes pity on him, approaches him, and pours oil into his wounds, and bandages them.[8] Jesus argues from this that true brotherhood is established among men by charity, and not by creeds.  The “neighbor” who in Judaism was specially the co-religionist, was in his estimation the man who has pity on his kind without distinction of sect.  Human brotherhood in its widest sense overflows in all his teaching.

[Footnote 1:  Ecclesiasticus l. 27, 28; John viii. 48; Jos., Ant., IX. xiv. 3, XI. viii. 6, XII. v. 5; Talm. of Jerus., Aboda zara, v. 4; Pesachim, i. 1.]

[Footnote 2:  Matt. x. 5; Luke xvii. 18.  Comp.  Talm. of Bab., Cholin, 6 a.]

[Footnote 3:  Matt. x. 5, 6.]

[Footnote 4:  Luke ix. 53.]

[Footnote 5:  Luke ix. 56.]

[Footnote 6:  John iv. 39-43.]

[Footnote 7:  Luke xvii. 16.]

[Footnote 8:  Luke x. 30, and following.]

These thoughts, which beset Jesus on his leaving Jerusalem, found their vivid expression in an anecdote which has been preserved respecting his return.  The road from Jerusalem into Galilee passes at the distance of half an hour’s journey from Shechem,[1] in front of the opening of the valley commanded by mounts Ebal and Gerizim.  This route was in general avoided by the Jewish pilgrims, who preferred making in their journeys the long detour through Perea, rather than expose themselves to the insults of the Samaritans, or ask anything of them.  It was forbidden to eat and drink with them.[2] It was an axiom of certain casuists, that “a piece of Samaritan bread is the flesh of swine."[3] When they followed this route, provisions were always laid up beforehand; yet they rarely avoided conflict and ill-treatment.[4] Jesus shared neither these scruples nor these fears.  Having come to the point where the valley of Shechem opens on the left, he felt fatigued, and stopped near a well.  The Samaritans were then as now accustomed to give to all the localities of their valley names drawn from patriarchal reminiscences.  They regarded this well as having been given by Jacob to Joseph; it was probably the same which is now called Bir-Iakoub.  The disciples entered the valley and went to the city to buy provisions.  Jesus seated himself at the side of the well, having Gerizim before him.

[Footnote 1:  Now Nablous.]

[Footnote 2:  Luke ix. 53; John iv. 9.]

[Footnote 3:  Mishnah, Shebiit, viii. 10.]

[Footnote 4:  Jos., Ant., XX. v. 1; B.J., II. xii. 3; Vita, 52.]