Ancient Samaritan Sect Celebrates Passover Festival Men from the ancient Samaritan sect hold prayers at dawn on the last day of their Shabuoth celebrations on top of Mount Gerizim June15, 2008 near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The Samaritan religion is based on four principles of faith, One God - the God of Israel, One Prophet - Moses Ben Amram, belief in the Torah - the first five books of the Hebrew bible and One Holy Place - Mount Gerizim. Despite its similarity to Judaism, the Samaritan community which numbers less than 720 people, half living at Mount Gerizim in the West Bank and the others in Holon near Tel Aviv in Israel, are not recognized as being Jewish