city
Mount Gerizim (Samaritan sanctuary)
Har Gerizim / Jabal al-Tur, West Bank (Palestine) · Wider Abrahamic world
32.201, 35.273
Attested. The sanctuary and its destruction are attested archaeologically and by Josephus. Whether the 5th-century BCE precinct already had a full temple is debated.
This photograph shows the modern city, or the Wikipedia lead subject, rather than the ancient site itself.
Gerizim is the Samaritans' holy mountain, which they hold to be the chosen place of worship (Deut. 27; the Samaritan Pentateuch reads 'has chosen'). Excavations by Y. Magen found a sacred precinct and town from the 5th century BCE, destroyed by John Hyrcanus around 111–110 BCE. A Byzantine church of Mary Theotokos was later built on the summit after Samaritan revolts. Samaritans still hold Passover sacrifice here at Kiryat Luza.
Source stance: neutral.
People and groups named here
- John Hyrcanus
- Zeno (emperor)
- Samaritan high priests
Sources
- "Temple Of Mount Gerizim", Jewish Encyclopedia (1906)
Jewish Encyclopedia / Funk & Wagnalls (public domain). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Samaritans (Wikipedia, context article)
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Mount Gerizim (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Garizein (mountain) (Pleiades place 678147)
Pleiades Gazetteer (CC BY 3.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
Further reading
Councils here
None in this list.