Dying Out: The Last Of The Samaritan Tribe | Full Documentary | TRACKS

[Music] [Applause] babbles and he is a helot this is a boot he lives in the West Bank a region of the Holy Land at the center of the israel-palestine conflict despite his Arabic first name Abood is not Palestinian and although his surname Cohen comes from the Hebrew for priests nor is he Jewish a bhoot Cohen is a Samaritan possibly one of the last of the Samaritans with such a small population the tribe must find a way to increase their numbers if they are to survive the next hundred years let alone 3,000 my name is Leon McCarran and I'm a bit of an explorer for the last decade I've been traveling around the world slowly often on foot here in heart of the Middle East the Holy Land is one of the most complex places on earth but it is also one of the most fascinating behind me in ears of the city of Nablus and the mountain of Gerizim a few years ago I was walking through this region and I heard the story of the ancient Israelites emergents living on top of that mountain many of us will know the name Samaritan from the Good Samaritan the well-known Christian parable the man who helped out a person who's in difficulties but today Samaritans are facing extreme difficulties themselves a population crisis once there was over a million of them but today there's barely eight hundred this ancient tribe has had to resort to the most modern of methods to stave off disaster the Internet's women brought in from Eastern Europe and a lifting of the ancient prohibition on outsiders and intermarriage [Music] these laws date back before Islam before Christianity before Judaism [Music] as this tribe the Israelite Samaritans claimed to be the oldest religion in the world [Music] they consider themselves the guardians of the Torah the first five books of the Old Testament preserving what they see as the true Israelite traditions they do not call themselves the Samaritans they are the Sham running or the keepers [Music] the most holy and sacred place in the smart and faith is here mont garrison Samaritans believe that Adam and Eve were expelled here from the Garden of Eden some belief it was from here that Noah's Ark skipped the floods and this unassuming spot on the mountainside perhaps the most significant in the Samaritan faith is where Abraham came to sacrifice his son Isaac to God [Music] I've come here at the top of Mount Gerizim and it's a really spectacular place there's the old burst of gunfire so you remember exactly where you are in the world done below is the Palestinian city of Nablus and you can probably hear the kind of hustle and bustle we also have the valley here with the Jordan River running through it and on the far side the mountains of the country of Jordan city of a man got Jerusalem and Ramallah this way the Mediterranean ocean and Tel Aviv is just about visible on the horizon and then there's the Samaritan town or village itself of carryout loser just below us Beni sadaqa is the leading scholar in Samaritan history and has written over a hundred books on fear this is of course manjae's him our holy mountain and it is written in the taurah allah this is the chosen place you have to offer the blessing on non tourism and to visit the mountain three times a year this mountain is so entwined in their beliefs that it is no surprise many Samaritans have settled here behind me is the new Martin neighborhood Kiryat illusion that started to be populated in the late 80s with the backdrop of the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the 1980s many Samaritans decided to move to the relative safety of their holy mountain by 1998 all the samaritans of Nablus had relocated here - kiryat loser the village is home to almost half of the remaining Samaritan population the others live about 50 kilometers southwest of here within hours of my arrival in time I was summoned to meet one of the community's most important figures Bonnie's right I propose the same every time you're a team of only like your image we are the oldest people in the world only where we are born enjoyed wanna be taken from the moment 15 days Bubba that he can I could rely on when I was it gave me a lie Oh a more local Delilah the zalaquett a madman that chemically madam are there ever any difficulties with the Samaritans you're right in the middle of this really complex space and you have to live amongst Israelis and Palestinians and certainly from the outside it seems like it's very hard to see how a solution might be fine between Israelis and Palestinians is there a way that Samaritans can help with that and then third the maggia botanist only in it decided again well our neck collision near mr. Lam do 11-dimensional and had already awoken does it lets him cope in Salem we want to be the bridge of peace between Palestinians and Israelis [Music] we took that policy of working between the political raindrops [Music] let's say that we became the most political entity in the world because we have to calculate our step every day how to live in peace with two entities despite their peaceful political position avoid in the conflict completely in this volatile region is near impossible for the Samaritans they are unique in that they are the only people allowed to carry two forms of ID both is really and Palestinian but that can be tricky as a bhoot Cohen once find out we're here in a part of the world that a lot of people think is very dangerous and they associate it with conflict and with real-life gun battles would you ever find that in your own life there's you've had encounters like that well I can tell you that the first time some pointed a gun at me I was coming for example from a driving lesson one time and there's basically two ways to come back home one is it really only and one is a Palestinian only Road so anyway I just called my father and I told him if he can pick me up basically from the Israeli only Road anyway I go out of the car it was really dark and suddenly I saw two two two soldiers running at me and one of them was screaming like there's no tomorrow he came up really close to me pointing the gun at me and shouting and I wasn't really scared moment especially because you feel like your life is basically in his hands right so I told him relax I'm a Samaritan he asked for my IDs I pull out the IDs and I only had the Palestinian one apparently I forgot the Israeli when I hope and so it's just like I thought I was in trouble a little bit because you know I how can I convince him I'm allowed to be here and then I remembered my name you know it's in the idea to something look go ahead my friends call me our boot but my name is Abdullah and I'm thought I didn't hear really Arabic name it's a really weird name but you know Cohan is Jewish family and he was more willing to listen yeah I warned me never to do that again which I didn't but that's the story a terrifying thing to happen to you even if you feel like your whole life is like in the trigger you know it's not a comfortable feeling that's a poetic way of putting it I [Music] stayed with a bhoot as he prepared for the weekly Sabbath or Shabbat can you tell me about Shabbat first of all you're not allowed to work you're not allowed to study certainly I feel 3,000 years old it's kind of like going back in time a little bit you're not allowed to use any car because fire is forbidden and we don't use any kind of electricity Shabbat is personally my favorite day of the week because who doesn't like free vacation right and it's a good good day to be lazy you know maybe really lazy a little rest it's the beginning of Shabbat so I'm gonna stop asking awkward questions and let him get on with his rest but I'm also gonna sneak in the back and see if I can observe [Applause] the Sabbath is the holiest day of the week here and lasts from sunset Friday till sunset Saturday [Applause] looking on as the Samaritans worship in the same clothing they have worn since ancient times I really do feel transported back inside these prayers mark the beginning of Sabbath the man will return in the middle of the night for the next prayers again at midday and finally at sundown Saturday for the closing prayers the most challenging thing is getting up at 3:00 a.m. in the morning to the prayer when you wake up the first thing is that oh I'm just so tired can I I must must like sleep maybe ten more minutes so I feel better yeah at the same time you think if you slept there's nothing that gonna wake you up because there's no wash there's no snooze know what I mean I mean I I told myself hey my grandfather woke up and he went he's 82 years old he went with all the strain you know the skull come on man I have to do it too yeah that's a good way to think about it yeah I guess you just finished Shabbat we've not got electricity and lights and beer how do you feel do you feel refreshed or would you describe your feeling well I have to say something early on I mean in Shabbat you do get to a point where I wonder what's happening on in the world you know what I mean each each Saturday we're disconnected from the whole world so you're not expecting any kind of calls any kind of emails or text messages so you kind of have a kind of calm state of mind if I have to say it and this this is a really good thing this is a really good thing I mean even biologically speaking your your body your eyes or relaxed a little bit you know you don't have to focus on any screens and it's a I have to say it so it's if I wasn't to Samaritan I would keep Shabbat yeah you selling the idea to me pretty well at this point I'm tempted the religious life of a woman in this community comes with its own complications the Samaritans insist on observing the words of their scriptures to the letter and the commandments concerning menstruation and purity are still strictly observed Ciroc is a 22 year old Samaritan woman she explains how during their periods women are kept separate from the rest of the community there are some people you cannot speak with in this time no I can't speak but I can't touch them you can touch them and I can touch the rest of house just my things we have a room full period we just enter it when we have a period we relax we rest in these seven days we go away so we do a lot of things in these seven days but maybe for married woman's this will be a little bit a little bit difficult because they have children a bigger difficulty fist by the women is that they're by far the minority here [Music] we don't enough humans too many young men so in the community there is more a lot more men than women yes for each girl dream oh really Wow see that is quite a big difference so you have a lot of choice for people to marry yes [Music] there are fewer than 20 young men and women of a booze age here in Kiryat loser which means that finding a partner and settling down is far from straightforward it's a really really huge topic married we bring it out each week and you know on Shabbat you discuss those few stories that have been going out between him and her you know how many of your friends you're sort of a to find someone already my age why it's no one it's a really important thing especially if you're a Samaritan you want to know are you gonna marry your Samaritan we're gonna go outside and if we're gonna go outside it's this is gonna be a totally different room you know you don't want to fall in love with a female from outside and then diente I'm a Samaritan you have to become a Samaritan to to marry me [Music] there is an urgent need for more women here with only four men families making up the population there's been an inevitable narrowing of the gene pool potential parents know routinely undergo genetic screening to ensure the health of their offspring but this step alone is not enough to guarantee the long-term survival of the Samaritans so now Samaritan men have been loud for the first time Temari outside the community using the Internet's and specialized dating agencies to find wives who are willing to join them here a lie is one such woman playing her vital part in this Martin's answer to their dwindling numbers in gene pool [Music] damn Sheila sham reneemarie damn shallow cry Nazaire say crazy crazy crazy how different has life being here from life before in the Ukraine so feed knock Finnmark hiya Helen Akbar smoosh kalyanam official nominee from offici ani map de barajas is a Madonna tamil fire in a famous kalabhairava fishy Masaryk dear mention but for Oceana Bruce Lee sharee opted for Amidala reverse serve the Marianas hyah hyah in 2010 ala married Ozzie a samaritan and moved to Kiryat loser not only did she have to adapt to a Samaritan culture and religious practices but she also had to learn the two languages used here Arabic and Hebrew tell me about your husband how did you meet Obama Derick Misrata returned its attending Bakura as a light stream Ravi Yamazaki Liu believe she lo lo Nick Masseria be Tom Rivera Sheila he ate our dead BAM Estrada's there we are our visual oh yes nice Rivera boy any craft RV them neurology mayor who's master equation what did you think when you first met him kilo loss of carrot a cola balinese ooh Karrueche oh yeah Boonen Dom you share we call as Mohammad Shaikh chorus month so heck we like that but ya know Australia door did he come to visit or was this on the internet la who Barlow cryin Basha Brian Billick Reina and how long did it take for you to decide to come here you my am today that's quick before we met you had you ever heard of the Samaritans Annie loaddata Bilal means the Shinra name Allah - Allah hey mam rouille Metallica market ambition rim Shabbat Cavallo you tell Lloyd that fom dream we as an esteemed achieve a terrible we're your family and friends worried for your safety coming here any killing him if I said that she found means I'm afraid not only usually it Adam gums I'm afraid about my loss or dream of a shot luma keyer FY kraler and do you feel that's living here on the mountain is quite a safe place to be McConkey Lohani gambali policeman Oh Marilla she McComas Elohim colas much coal as Mancha Merrill as they as Bellagio not no-go while the prospect of moving to such potentially frightening place and living a completely different life may be daunting Allah is not alone Sharkey leshner Allah lachemann Ibaka wrote on a newborn who shared ken v bo Derek Varia showed Bakura by stratagem V&F nomoreshame Shiki looking yes la no achievement Corleone Shabbat enough no Colombia had banished lo cryin enough know usually miyazaki those are really lovely morning to spend with allah and her kids and i think there could probably be an impression from the outside that there are these men on top of a mountain who going on the internet and finding brides from the ukraine and bringing it over and then it could somehow be CD or not completely above board but certainly for them there's a real sense of family there and my impression is that our newsy and their family really debunked that it seems to me that the Samaritans are a strong well-organized community here successful keepers of their ancient religion and culture for the mean time at least but I still wonder what the future holds for this Martins especially the younger members like a boot as Samaritan you know first of all that you're not gonna you know you're gonna go live outside so the chances are what I'm getting here is that we probably gonna marry I'm probably gonna marry a little bit early so we're talking about maybe 26 even 25 apparently I found one you found one yes she's Samaritan and we are really really in a great relationship three oh wow yes congratulation thank you thank you years already and she is what did she live she in this neighborhood in this neighborhood yes you're a dark horse yeah it's quiet I you know I have to plan man yeah as Samaritan you have to plan it's a competition you know survival of the fittest [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Channel: TRACKS

Views: 493,389

Rating: 4.8312345 out of 5

Keywords: TRACKS, tracks travel channel, tracks travel, what happened to the samaritans?, Documentary Movies - Topic, ukraine, Documentary, samaritans documentary, tribe, Documentaries, Amazing Stories, Extraordinary people, BBC documentary, Full length Documentaries, how to, samaritan's documentary, parable of the good samaritan for children, TV Shows - Topic, last of a tribe, middle east, parable of the good samaritan, samaritan, Real Stories, endangered species

Id: zloTR_N5Cys

Length: 22min 31sec (1351 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 08 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/the1gofer]

So this is why their are so few good Samaritan’s these days

[u/Sanpaku]

Samaritans would be so much more interesting to me if they preserved more of the milleau of 1st temple Judaism. Instead, they basically share most beliefs (with only minor textual variants) with 2nd temple Judaism, just worshiping at a different site.

I think anyone interested in the origins of the ethical monotheisms would be interested in what Hebrew religion was like before the Persian/Zoroastrian overlay of transcendent souls, apocalyptic judgement day, heaven and hell, messianism, free will, etc. Alas, either the Samaritan/Jerusalem temple schism postdates that, or the Samaritans adopted most of the the Jerusalem temple literature (excepting the parts where YHWH only cares about sacrifices at Jerusalem).

For a traditional religion/culture whose disappearance in my lifetime really breaks my heart, see An Uncertain Future for the Kalash People of Pakistan (2003). Genetically, this is one of the most unique, isolated populations on the planet, and they're preserving a culture that probably goes back a lot further than Alexander the Great.