Nablus

On Thursday, we were on our way to Nablus. Our first stop was Mount Gerizim for a visit to the Samaritan community of Palestine. We talked to Tomer, a local from the area, who told us all about the Samaritan religion and traditions. We were later shown around the mountain, the local Synagogue, and other religious sites.

Our next stop was Jacob’s well, which currently lies within the bounds of an Eastern Orthodox monastery. After a short history lesson from our guide about the well and its significance, we walked to Balata refugee camp. At the camp, we visited Yafa Cultural Center - named this way because most refugees in Balata are from Yafa. At the center, we got to learn about day to day experiences at the camp. We were then presented with an amazing Dabkeh show by participants at the center. For lunch, we had mouth watering home-made Musakhan at the center.

We then headed to the old city of Nablus. We started the tour off by visiting one of the cities main soap factories. We then toured the old city as we listened to our guide at every stop. Finally, we ended the day by going to Sabastia, and hiking up to the picturesque Roman remains of the village. From the top, campers got to enjoy the view overlooking the valleys of Nablus.