MARK TWAIN
Sept. 22. Left Genin at I A.M. Some time before day-
light passed near another place where Joseph's brethren
pitted him.
Samaria
About noon, after passing over a succession of moun-
tain tops (saw the Mediterranean Sea 40 miles distant)
and many biblical cities in which the inhabitants looked
savage and would have liked to throw stones (women and
babies with elaborate coin head-dresses).
We came to the singularly terraced hills which showed
that we were out of Galilee and into Samaria.
Climbed a hill to visit the ruin of the city where the
woman of Samaria conversed with Christ and gave him
to drink—where the good Samaritan (the only one that
ever lived there) dwelt, and where Elisha brought
Naaman to be cured of his leprosy.
It is rough stone mud hovels and camel dung as usual
—and a hundred limestone columns 2 ft. in diameter, 20
ft. high and no capitols or bases—lowest grade of archi-
tecture—and I suppose that this is all that remains of
Herod's boasted beautifying of the city.
Ruins of a Christian church of the Crusades and the
tomb of St. John the Evangelist—remains transferred to
the Church of the Annunciation, Genoa.
The Arabs stoned Mr. James here, and 2 stones hit
Miss Brown—our party was not molested except that a
small boy threw a stone at the doctor.
Nablus or Shechem. Luncheon there at 3 P.M. The
Crocker and Beach party on the hill. Ebal on the left
(hill of cursing) and Gerezim on the right (hill of bless-
ing). Ebal is cultivated with grapes—scattering olives on
the other—disproves the enthusiasts who say the accursed
mountain is barren and the other blooming.
On the hill is the oldest manuscript in existence—Jew-