The Samaritans... The marriage crisis of the smallest religious sect in the world is known
Marriage in the Samaritan sect, which is considered the smallest religious sect in the world, is a preoccupation, especially among its males, due to the sect suffering from a shortage of girls qualified for marriage.
The Samaritan community has a population of 850, in its two parts, between the summit of Mount Gerizim in Nablus and the city of Holon in the 48 lands (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)
Twenty-five years ago, Samaritan clergymen allowed marriage to non-daughters on the condition that they convert to the sect's religion, but new concerns have emerged represented in the shortage of men, which leads to the tendency to allow polygamy.
The sect has a population of 850 people, divided between the summit of Mount Gerizim in Nablus, and the city of Holon, in the 48 lands.
Priest Husni al-Samari, a researcher and director of the Samaritan Museum, says that about 47 women, including 25 of Jewish origin, 19 Christians (from Russia and Ukraine), and 3 Muslims (Azerbaijan), are associated with members of the sect.
He pointed out in an interview with Anatolia that this came by a decision of the clergy because there is a shortage of girls, due to the reluctance of Samaritan women to have more than two children. However, the priest bore 6 sons.
He pointed out that this culture (procreation) threatens the existence of the sect, pointing out that the teachings of the Torah encourage procreation.
Foreign wives are required to enter the Samaritan religion through “the sanctification of the Sabbath, the sanctity of Mount Gerizim, the observance of the rituals of the menstrual cycle (diving in water) and the adherence to the teachings of the Torah.”
Fears of male deficiency
The priest pointed out that the data indicate that in the next few years there is equality in the number of males and females, but the early maturity of girls indicates that the sect will suffer from a shortage of males.
"In the coming years, we probably don't need foreign girls," Al-Samari said.
He continued, "The presence of spinsters is dangerous, so we may go into polygamy."
The Samaritan indicated that in the religion of the Children of Israel (Samaritan), polygamy is allowed, although it is not practiced.
He said, "We are working to spread awareness of the large number of children, and we will warn women that if they do not have more children, we will allow polygamy, and that the future of the sect is threatened, and the reason is the women's rebellion."
?From the Samaritan sect
The Samaritan sect is called in Hebrew "Shronim", is an ethno-religious group belonging to the Children of Israel, and differs from the Jews as they follow the Samaritan religion contrary to Judaism, and believe in only five books of the Torah.
The Samaritans consider that their Torah is the most correct and that it is not distorted, and their religion is the true religion of the Children of Israel, and they differ with the Jews on 7,000 religious issues. They also believe that the Jews have no right in the city of Jerusalem, and they sanctify Mount Gerizim in Nablus.
The members of the sect have social relations and friendship with the Palestinians (Muslims and Christians), and they hold 3 nationalities, "Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian".
Throughout history, the Samaritans inhabited the old city of Nablus, and with the outbreak of the Stone Intifada in 1987, they moved to live on the top of Mount Gerizim, "one of two mountains bordering the city of Nablus and the other Mount Ebal."
The Samaritans refused to relinquish Palestinian citizenship in exchange for obtaining Israeli citizenship.
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