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Nablus
Tell Balata Located 1!/2 miles east of Nablus, Tell Balata, or Shechem, was one of the earliest and most powerful Canaanite cities. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, the ruins of this ancient city occupy a hill rising 525m above sea level. A fortress temple on the summit of the hill is the largest and most impressive surviving Canaanite temple in Palestine. Other visible ruins include two monumental gates, massive city walls, and a governor's palace with a small private temple, guardrooms, an assembly, living quarters, and a kitchen. Jacob's Well
Located 3/4 mile south of
Nablus, Jacob's Well is where Jesus met the Samaritan woman
who offered Him a drink of water. Jacob dug the well for himself, his
children, and his flock on a plot of land he bought upon his return from
Mesopotamia. The Crusaders restored it over the well. Today, it stands
within the walled complex of the Greek Orthodox Monastery. Joseph's tomb
A little to the north of Jacob's Well is the traditional site of Joseph's tomb, an Ottoman building with a white dome marks the site. Sabastia
The ancient royal city of
Sabastia, or Samaria, is one of the largest archeological sites in Palestine.
Located 8 miles northwest of Nablus, the ruins of ancient Sebastia extend on a hill
overlooking the present village of Sebastia. Excavations at Sebastia indicate
that it was first inhabited during the Chalcolithic period in 4000 BC. It did
not gain political importance, however, until King Omri built his royal city
there and named it Samaria. The visible remains at ancient Sebastia include
Roman tombs, a Hellenistic tower, a Severan basilica, and Herodian gate towers
at the entrance of a colonnaded street with 600 columns on both sides. According
to religious tradition, the head of John the Baptist was found in Sebastia and a
Crusader church, later converted to a mosque, was built in his honor. Mt Gerzim Standing
at 881m above sea level, Mt. Gerzim offers a magnificent panoramic view of
Nablus and the surrounding area. Ancient ruins at the summit include an
octagonal church built by Zeno in the fifth century, and the remains of a
mosque and a castle dating back to the time of Salah ad-Din. A small
Samaritan community, inhabiting the plateau below the summit for the past
2500 years, holds Mt. Gerzim as sacred. Believing that Mt. Gerzim fitted
Abraham's description better than Mt. Moriah, the Samaritans built a rival
temple to the one in Jerusalem. Though the temple has long been destroyed,
the Samaritans still point out a rock that they believe is the place where
Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac. Tell Dothan
The impressive site of Tell Dothan lies in a fertile plain west of Jenin. Once a flourishing Canaanite city, Tell Dothan, according to tradition, is where Joseph was sold by his brothers to some Ishmaelite traders who took him to Egypt.
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