“Our forefathers,” said she, “worshiped in this mountain [Gerizim]; but you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where persons ought to worship.”

Unlike the Jews, the Samaritans worshiped at Mount Gerizim, claiming that this was the holy mountain of God. However, they had no basis for this. The five books of Moses, which they accepted as their inspired Scriptures, did not justify their viewing Mount Gerizim as sacred. Evidently to give credence to their belief, the Samaritans changed a passage in the fifth book of Moses to read “Gerizim” instead of “Ebal.” (Deut. 27:4)