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◄ Jacobs Well►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Introduction:
Jacob's Well is a significant biblical site located near the city of Sychar in Samaria, which is present-day Nablus in the West Bank. This well is traditionally associated with the patriarch Jacob, who is believed to have dug it. It holds historical, theological, and spiritual importance, particularly in the context of the New Testament.

Biblical References:
Jacob's Well is most prominently mentioned in the Gospel of John. InJohn 4:5-6 , it is written: "So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, being wearied from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour."

Historical Context:
The well is traditionally believed to have been dug by Jacob, as suggested by its name. Although the Old Testament does not explicitly mention Jacob digging a well, the association is derived from the land Jacob gave to his son Joseph (Genesis 48:22). The well is situated in a region rich with patriarchal history, including the nearby city of Shechem, which was significant in the lives of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph.

Theological Significance:
Jacob's Well is the setting for one of the most profound encounters in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman. This interaction is recorded inJohn 4:7-26. Jesus, breaking social and cultural norms, speaks to a Samaritan woman, offering her "living water" (John 4:10). This conversation reveals Jesus' mission to bring salvation to all people, transcending ethnic and social barriers. The well symbolizes the transition from the old covenant, represented by Jacob, to the new covenant, embodied in Christ.

Cultural and Religious Impact:
The encounter at Jacob's Well highlights the tension between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus' time. Despite these tensions, Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman demonstrates His message of reconciliation and inclusivity. The well serves as a reminder of the universality of the Gospel and the breaking down of barriers through Christ.

Archaeological and Modern Significance:
Jacob's Well is a site of pilgrimage and religious significance for Christians. It is located within the complex of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Photini. The well itself is deep, consistent with the description inJohn 4:11 , where the woman says, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep." Archaeological studies and historical accounts affirm the well's ancient origins, aligning with the biblical narrative.

Conclusion:
Jacob's Well remains a powerful symbol of Jesus' ministry and the transformative power of His message. It continues to be a place of reflection and spiritual renewal for believers, reminding them of the living water that Christ offers to all who seek Him.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Jacobs Well

a deep spring in the vicinity of Shechem (calledSychar in Christ's time andNablus at the present day). It was probably dug by Jacob whose name it bears. On the curb of the well Jesus sat and discoursed with the Samaritan woman. (John 4:5-26) It is situated about half a mile southeast of Nablus, at the foot of Mount Gerizim. It is about nine feet in diameter and 75 feet deep. At some seasons it is dry; at others it contains a few feet of water.

Library

Germantown, Pennsylvania.
... The size of the barns, the height the fences, thewell-kept wheat... on the border,
and distinguished for their bold and independent spirit." (Jacobs, 235.) Also...

Muhlenberg's Unionism.
... The pastors of the first period of the Ministerium," says Dr.Jacobs, "were on... that
eminent success which Benjamin Franklin has noted in awell-known passage...

Additions to the Literature
... Buckley, 2 vols., 1852, gives the Reformatory decisions of the council aswell as
the Decrees and Canons."Donovan... HEJacobs: The Book of Concord or the Symbol...

Further Activity and Death of Muhlenberg.
... ideas, to which they lend too ready assent, that the pastors aswell as their... yet
to recede or even to be stationary must be fatal."Jacobs continues: "Such...

The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The...
... [75] The beautiful story of the processional progress of the Salzburg exiles across
the continent of Europe iswell told by Dr.Jacobs, "History of the...

Slavery of Redemptioners.
... She is tall and strong enough to do any kind of work, and is able to perform
work in the city aswell as in the country.... (Jacobs, 235.)....

A Bad Bargain
... City life tends to produceJacobs, and its Esaus escape from it as soon as they
can. But Jacob had the vices aswell as the virtues of his qualities....

Lutherans in South Carolina.
... (Jacobs, 297.) Pastor Martin served a third term in Charleston from 1786 to... with
governing and judicial powers, to whose decisions Lutheran aswell as Reformed...

Lutherans in Pennsylvania.
... of such principles, are scoffers and Ishmaels of allwell-ordered church... land, except
Caspar Stoever, now sixty miles distant from Philadelphia." (Jacobs, 191.)...

Training of Ministers and Teachers Neglected.
...Jacobs: "There seems to have been an entire dearth of laymen capable of intelligently...
In New York there was a schoolhouse aswell as a church, and a...