Mount Gerizim

Mount Gerizim is one of two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the key West Bank city of Nablus, and forms the southern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the northern side being formed by Mount Ebal. The mountain is one of the highest peaks in the West Bank and rises to 881 m above sea level, 70 m lower than Mount Ebal. According to Professor Robert Martin "In Samaritan tradition, it is the oldest, the most central, and the highest mountain in the world, towering above the Great Flood and providing the first land for Noah’s disembarkation." The mountain is particularly steep on the northern side, is sparsely covered at the top with shrubbery, and lower down there is a spring with a high yield of fresh water.

The mountain is sacred to the Samaritans who regard it, rather than Jerusalem's Temple Mount, as having been the location chosen by God for a holy temple.