Temple of St. Photina of Samaria in Shecham

Located on the site of the Gospel conversation of the Savior with a Samaritan woman at the ancient well of Jacob.

Now this city is called Nablus (the Arabic version of the Greek name Neapolis) in Samaria. The biblical name for the city is Shechem. Here forefather Abram spoke with God (Genesis 12, 6-7). Subsequently, the forefather James lived and dug a well here (Gen. 33, 18-20; John 4, 12). Centuries later, at the well, the Lord Jesus Christ talked with the Samaritan woman about the living water and revealed to her that He is the Messiah (John 4, 1-44). In the Roman era, near the disappeared Shechem, the Roman colony Flavius ​​Neapolis appeared, where around 100 AD a Christian apologist Justin the Philosopher was born

At the site of the Gospel conversation between the Savior and the Samaritan woman at the ancient well of Jacob, there is a Greek monastery built on the territory of a Byzantine temple of the 4th century, destroyed in the 6th century. In 1914, the Jerusalem Patriarchate began rebuilding the temple with financial support from Russia, interrupted by the First World War. The completion and consecration took place only in 2008.

Here in 1979, Archimandrite Filumen, who served in this temple and is known as a man of high spiritual life, was killed by religious Jewish fanatics. Shortly before the murder, a group of people came to the monastery and demanded that the crosses and icons be removed from the Well of Jacob under the pretext that the symbols of Christianity prevented them from praying in this sacred place for them. The abbot of the monastery refused to do this, recalling that the Well of Jacob was and remains an Orthodox shrine for many hundreds of years. In response, a threat was expressed that if he did not leave there, he should prepare for the worst. Shouting blasphemy, obscenity and threats to Christians, the Jews left. On the feast day of St. Matthew, the assassins broke into the monastery. They inflicted two cruciform wounds to Father Filumen with an ax in the face, gouged out his eyes and chopped off the fingers of his right hand in parts. They also desecrated the church itself: they cut the crucifix, desecrated the sacred vessels, and performed other sacrilegious acts. Israeli civilian authorities announced that an investigation was underway, but no results were obtained.

Archimandrite was buried in Jerusalem, in the residence of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Zion. A few years later, his tomb was opened, and the relics were discovered almost completely imperishable. On August 29, 2008, before the consecration of the temple of Photina of the Samaritan monastery over the Well of Jacob, the relics from Jerusalem were transferred here to ancient Shechem (Nablus). On September 11, 2009, Filumen Svyatogrobets was canonized as a holy martyr by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III. On March 5, 2010, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided: “to include the name of the holy martyr Filumen (Hasapis) in the month of the Russian Orthodox Church with the establishment of the celebration of his memory on November 16/29, as established in the Jerusalem Church.”

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Church of St. Photini of Samaria. Well of Jacob, Nablus

One of the most beautiful buildings in the city, or rather, in the suburbs, is the Well of Jacob. The red domes of this ancient church are immediately evident from all the observation points of the city. In particular, it is clearly visible from the panorama on Mount Grisim.

Samaria (in Hebrew - Shomron, now Sebastia near the city of Nablus) - an ancient city in Palestine, founded around 880 BC. king of the kingdom of Israel Omri. The whole region lying between the Jezreel Valley in the north and Judea in the south began to be called this city. In 722-721 years. Samaria was captured by the Assyrians, the city was destroyed, and most of the inhabitants of Samaria were evicted. New settlers, gathered from all over the Assyrian kingdom, mingled with the remnants of the local population. Thus a nation was formed, called the Samaritans in the Gospel. Samaritans recognized the Pentateuch of Moses, adopted some Jewish traditions, but believed that God should be worshiped on Mount Garizim, and not in Jerusalem. At the same time, Samaritans kept some pagan traditions. The Jews, in turn, disdained all communication with the Samaritans.

The Lord sometimes passed through Samaria when he went from Galilee to Jerusalem or vice versa. This path was much shorter, but the Samaritans did not always let the Jews pass through their land. And the Jews themselves abhorred all communication with the inhabitants of Samaria. Therefore, the generally accepted path was different - bypassing the Jordan Valley.

During one of these trips, when the Savior passed through Samaria, His conversation with the Samaritan woman took place, as described in the Gospel of John. This meeting took place at the well of Jacob. This well, about 35 meters deep, is located near the Old Testament Shechem (or Sychar, the modern name is Nablus), on the northwestern slope of Mount Garizim. An ancient legend says that this well was dug by the patriarch Jacob.

The Samaritan woman with whom the Lord spoke was glorified by the Holy Church as the holy martyr Fotin, she suffered for Christ under Emperor Nero in Rome

The building rises above one of the oldest wells in Israel, which the Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Samaritan traditions associate with the forefather Jacob. The book of Genesis writes about the arrival of Jacob in Shechem and the purchase of a piece of land there, on which, according to the theologians, this well was located.

Archimandrite Justin in the 1990s led a grandiose project for the construction of the Samarjanki Temple of Photini (Photina) above the well. This new church was built on the model of the temple of the Crusader era, and the well was located in the crypt under the altar. The temple was built since the late 1990s, and for a long time the Greek Patriarchate did not approve the project, considering it “Latin” in style. But this, perhaps, was the idea of ​​Fr. Justin: to revive, at least in general terms, the temple of the XII century - the brainchild of Queen Melisenda, who has done so much to restore the most important Christian shrines.

On August 29, 2008, before the consecration of the temple of Photina of Samaria, the relics of Archimandrite Filumen were transferred here from the cemetery of the Greek Patriarchate on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

On September 11, 2009, Filumen Svyatogrobets was canonized as a holy martyr by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III. On March 5, 2010, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided "to include the name of the holy martyr Filumen (Hasapis) in the months of the Russian Orthodox Church with the establishment of the celebration of his memory on November 16/29, as established in the Jerusalem Church."

The shrine of the temple

is the Well of Jacob. Currently, Jacob’s well is located in the crypt, located under the altar of a large monastery church dedicated to Photini of Samaria
- The jug into which the Samaritan woman gathered water. It stands honorably on the inner column on the left side of the temple, at a height of several meters, behind dense faceted glass.
- Particle of the relics of John the Baptist
- Slipper of St. Spyridon of Trimythous (from the vestments that he is periodically changed)
- Relics of the holy martyr Filumen Svyatogrobts

The relics of Saint Filumena Samaria buried in the temple to the right of the iconostasis and the altar is kept smelling the blood of the martyr (commemorated November 29, NS)

He was born in Cyprus in 1913, at age 14 escaped from the house, along with twin brother and went to a monastery . Father tried to return them, but then agreed to bless on the path of monasticism.Soon the brothers were invited to study at the Jerusalem seminary. After training, his brother returned to his homeland, and father Filumen took the tonsure and became the keeper of the Holy Sepulcher. He carried obedience in various temples in the Holy Land, and was finally appointed to Nablus. Several times he received threats and demands to leave the temple, but answered with a firm refusal. On November 29, 1979, Father Filumen was brutally murdered by a Jewish fanatic who was later declared insane. The killers burst into the temple during the service, gouged out the martyr’s eyes, chopped off the fingers with which we perform the sign of the Cross, and cut the head crosswise with an ax. At this very time, the twin brother of Father Filumen heard a voice: "Brother, do not be afraid, they kill me for the name of the Lord."

The well of Jacob is in the crypt, located under the altar of the monastery church dedicated to Photini of Samaria

Jacob's well is very deep, about 40 meters, and according to the pilgrims, the water from it is very tasty. He is under the altar of the temple.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI presented the temple with a “genuine” jug of the Samaritan, which was taken out by the crusaders from Constantinople in 1204. It stands in a naos under a glass on a pilaster to the left of the entrance (see photo). Perhaps Jesus Christ drank from it. However, experts argue that the shape of the vessel resembles pottery from the times of the Intermediate Bronze, 2300-2000. BC, but, nevertheless, the jug is historical in itself and has experienced many events.

Around the temple in Nablus (large, beautiful and bright) there is a marvelous fragrant garden with fruit trees and a fountain with goldfish. Truly a heavenly place! Pilgrims are greeted warmly, treated to coffee and Turkish delight.

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