Jacob’s fountain is the only place of Christian-Orthodox pilgrimage in Samaria. The fountain has a depth of 35 meters. A Greek monk who oversees her offers thirsty pilgrims in her fresh and cold water.

The fountain was dug by Jacob on the land bought from Hemor (Emmor) Hevele (Genesis 33:18). Nomads used to have their own water source, not to be dependent on the inhabitants of the settlements near which they settled their tents.

This is the fountain Christ encountered on the Samaritan woman, on the way from Jerusalem to Galilee (John 4: 4-42); Hence the second name given by the Arabian fountains: Bir es-Samarieh.

Due to the fact that at the fountain of Jacob Jesus speaks of living water, the Christian community in the region used the water of this fountain to commit baptism.

According to some testimonies of the 4th century, a church was built at Jacob’s fountain. Since then, she has been recognized as a place of Christian pilgrimage. The church was burnt during the Samarin revolt in 485 and was restored in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian. But it was destroyed again, following the Persian and Arab invasions.

At the end of the 19th century, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem bought the land and began building a church on the foundations of the older church. Due to lack of funds, the works stopped during the First World War, but have been concluded in recent years.

The Great Martyr Fotinia is the Samaritan woman whom the Evangelist John, the Worshiper of God, says in the Holy Gospel, that he spoke with our God Jesus Christ to the well of James and believed in Him. And after the Lord’s ascension into heaven and after the descent of the Holy Spirit over the divine Apostles, on the day of Pentecost (Pentecost) he was baptized by the Holy Apostles, with his two sons and five sisters, following them and preaching faith in Christ from place to place And from country to country, turning many idolaters from paganism, making them Christians.

In the days of Neron, the pagan emperor of Rome, there was a great persecution of Christians, and after the confession of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the persecutors sought their disciples and all who believed in Christ wandering in the desert to wipe out the name of Christ . But they did not know the fools, for the more they were persecuting the faith in Christ, the more they became stronger and louder; For as the LORD hath said, The gates of hell shall not overcome her.

At that time, Saint Fotinia, together with her youngest son, were in Carthage, the city of Africa, and preached the gospel of Christ boldly. And Victor, her eldest son, was a soldier in the Roman army, and because he had done great bravery and triumph in the war that the Romans had against the Arabs, who upset and pillaged their places, Emperor Neron made him a stray and voivode of all Italy; And, not knowing he is a Christian, sent him to work the Christians who were there. And Sebastian, the Duke of Italy, when he heard the latter, said to Victor, “I know very well, my lord, that you are a Christian and your mother and Iosi, your brother, are Christians, followers and disciples of the Apostle Peter. I advise you to do what the Emperor has commanded you, that is, to work the Christians so that you do not endanger your life. ” And Victor Victor said, “I desire to do the will of Christ, the true God, the Heavenly King and death. And the commandment that Neron gave me the king to work the Christians, I do not want to I hear, but let me do it again. ” The Duke said, “I counsel you as a true friend for your benefit, for if you sit on the divan and seek to know the Christians and work them, you will do the pleasure of the Emperor, and you will also earn the money of the Christians. In addition to this, I also advise you to tell your mother and brother to stop preaching to show Christ and not to teach the pages to deny their parental faith so that you do not get hurt because of them. “

St. Victor said to him, “Do not do this, that is, to torment a Christian, or to take something from him, or to advise my mother or my brother no longer to preach that Christ is The true God, but I am and I want to be a preacher to Christ, as they are, and let us see the evil that is going to happen to us. ” The Duke said, “Brother, I counsel you for what I’m good for, and you count what you want to do.” When he said, he immediately blinked and, falling to the ground, he remained silent from the terrible pains of his eyes; Then, lifting him in front of him, they put him on the bed and stayed for three days without a voice, unable to say at all. And on the fourth day he cried with a loud voice: “One is truly God, the God of Christians!” And Victor, coming to him, said, “Why have you changed your mind so suddenly, Sebastian?” The Duke said to him, “For Christ is my name, my Victor my forerunner.” So he immediately learned from him the faith in Christ and was baptized; Then as he came out of the water of baptism, he suddenly gained the light of his eyes and glorified God. Seeing the other idol servants of this wondrous miracle, they were afraid that they would not suffer, not trusting in Christ, what suffered the Duke, they all ran to Victor, and by learning the faith in Christ they were baptized.

For a while, this word came to Rome, to the ears of Neron, that Victor, the Stratilat of Italy, and Sebastian, the Duke, preach that Peter and Paul and the other apostles and bring many heathen to the faith in Christ; Then that Fotinia, the mother of the stray, and Iosi, another son of hers, were sent to Carthage to do likewise. The Emperor, hearing these things, was angry and immediately sent soldiers to Italy to bring to Rome all the Christians who were there, men and women, to whom the Lord had appeared before, and said to them, “Come to me all the wounded And do not be afraid, for I am with you, and Neron will be overcome with his devils, his friends. ” “Then he said to Victor,” From here on, your name will be Fotinus, for many will enlighten in you and believe in Me; And you strengthen with your words Sebastian, for confession, for he will be happy and well to him that will be needed to the end. “

These things the Lord said to them, He ascended to heaven. It was also revealed to Saint Fotinia and he showed all that he had to follow. That is why Saint Fotinia immediately left Carthage with a lot of Christians and went to Rome; All the city of Rome, hearing her with great boldness preaching to Christ, were troubled, saying, “Who is this that cometh here with the multitude?” Then came to Rome and Fotinos, her son, along with Sebastian the Duke, being brought by the soldiers who had been sent by the Emperor.

But Saint Fotinia seized and came before Neron, with her son Josiah, and the other multitude. Seeing Neron, he asked, “Why did you come to us?” The Holy One answered, “We have come to teach you to believe in Christ.” The servants of the king said, “Sebastian, duke, came from Italy, and Victor, the stray man.” Neron said, “Let it live inside.” And when they came, he said unto them, What have I heard of you? The saints answered, “How many have you heard of us, O king, they are all true.” Neron, looking at them wildly, said, “Are you denying Christ, or are you going to die for bad death?” The saints, raising their eyes to heaven, said, “Let it never be, O Christ, King, that we may forsake you and separate ourselves from faith in you and your love.” Neron asked, “How do you call yourself?” Saint Fotinia replied: “I was called Fotinia by Jesus Christ, my God, and my sisters, the first to be born after me, are called Anatoli, the second Fotos, the third Fotis, the fourth Paraskevi, the fifth Chiriachi; And my sons, the first is called Victor, who was called by my Lord Fotinos, and the second one, which is with me, is called Joshi. ” Neron said to them, “Are you all united and agreed to work for the Nazarene and die for Him?” Saint Fotinia replied: “So we all rejoice, we rejoice and want to die for His love.”

Then the tyrant ordered that their wrists should be crushed with iron hammers; And the servants of Neron, taking the saints, led them to the place of torture; And stretched forth his hands, and began to crush them with their hammers, and from the third hour of the day until the sixth, three times they changed their hand; And the martyrs of Christ did not feel their labor at all, nor did their hands crush their own. Hearing this, Neron trembled with great wonders and ordered his hands to be cut off. But as soon as the servants abducted Holy Fotinia, binding his hands, they struck the swords several times, above the anvil, failing nothing; And especially those who hurt them, have weakened and fell as dead. But the saint was unharmed and grateful to God, saying, “Jehovah is my helper, and I will not fear, why man will do to me.”

So the king began to wonder and think what to do to overcome the martyrs and bring them to his will. That is why he ordered the men to place them in a dark prison, and on Saint Fotinia, together with her five sisters, to put them in a golden room with golden table, gold chairs, money Many before them, golden ornaments, and clothing, and golden girdles. Then she also commanded her daughter, Lord, to go to that room with all her maids, and to unite with the saints, and to count the desert in mind, for with delusions like these they will turn and overthrow their faith. For the holy priests command that, if they deny their faith in Christ, they will give them comfort, delight and love like this, and give them all that were in the room and many others; Then he will give them great love and honor. But he was deceived by the sly, for the saints, as thoughts of the heavenly ones, defamed all that as garbage, and did not even want to look at them.

Looking at Saint Fotinia to the daughter of the Emperor, Lord, she said to her, “Rejoice, my bride’s bride!” And Lord said to her, “Rejoice, my lady, the lamp of Christ!” Hearing Saint Fotinia the Lord remembered the name of Christ, he was very glad and thanked God, embraced her and kissed her. Then by teaching her the faith of Christ, as well as her 100 servants, she baptized them all; And Domnina called her Antusa. And immediately, Antusa commanded Ştefanida, the greatest of her over 100 maids, to give to the poor all the golden ornaments and the money that was in the golden chamber.

Neron, being aware of this, sighs from the depths of his heart and angrily, promptly commanded to burn a furnace seven days, and to cast into it the Holy House and all those united with her, men and women; And making the soldiers according to his command, the martyrs stood three days in the furnace. Then, thinking of the tyrant that they would now be burned in the fire furnace, he commanded to open the mouth of the furnace, and if the bones of the disciples were to be thrown into the river. And opening the soldiers to the mouth of the furnace, they found all the saints whole and unharmed, glorifying and blessing God. So they were amazed at the wondrous miracle that the fire did not come near them. Hearing this, all the inhabitants of the city of Rome marveled, glorifying God as well.

But the tyrant, hearing a miracle like this, commanded them to adhere to death-poisoning poisons. So Lambadie, the sorcerer who prepared the poisons, first gave poison to Saint Fotinia, who, by taking it, said to the wizard: “It is not for us to take this poison of yours, nor drink it, because You are unclean, but that you may know, O ye kings, and you, a wizard, the power of my Christ, behold, I drink it first in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our God, and they shall drink it all Those who are with me. ” Having all the poison martyrs, they remained unharmed, with the power of Christ, as if they had not drunk nothing. And the sorcerer, seeing all this, was terrified, and, searching for Saint Fotinia, said, “I have prepared a strong poison, and you will drink it, and you will not do anything, I will believe in your God.” And bringing it, he gave it to them, and, behold, all the martyrs remained unharmed. Seeing this wizard, he was astonished and immediately gathering all his witch-books, casting them into the fire and burning them; Then, believing in Christ, he was baptized, calling himself the baptism of Teoclitus. And the king, knowing this, commanded the soldiers, and took him out of the midst of the saints, and brought him out of the walls of Rome, and cut his head with the sword. And so, the happy Teoclit, before the others, took the crown of martyrdom.

Then Neron the lawless ordered to cut off the veins of all the saints together with the great martyr Fotinia. And when the soldiers cut off the martyrs’ veins, they mocked and laughed at the king and his gods as impotent. And the tyrant, seeing the confessors, that in no way counted these works, commanded to melt the lead and mix it with brimstone, and when it was blooming, pour it into the mouth of St. Fotinia and on the backs of the other saints. After the servants had fulfilled the king’s command and shed the lead on the back of the martyrs, all the saints cried out, “We thank You, O Christ our God, for we have cooled our hearts as if we were thirsty with a great heat” . And when Neron heard this, he was terrified, and commanded to hang them, and to pity mercilessly their bodies, and burn them with burning torches; But the longer he worked, the more they were empowered in the divine but glorified God.

And the villain and the desert-minded Neron, thinking that he would overcome the saints with the work, commanded to mix ash with strong vinegar and pour it in their nose and, as it were, the holy martyrs said they seemed sweeter Than honey and honey. And the tyrant was very angry and ordered to stop the saints and put them in a dark, unclean dungeon, filled with venomous snakes. But the saints praised and glorified God, and the poisonous beasts of the dungeon all died, and the evil stench turned into an unclean fresco, and the darkness turned into too bright light. Then our Lord Jesus Christ stood in the midst of the saints, and said to them, “Peace be to you!” Then, grasping Holy Fotinia, he raised it up and said, “Rejoice forever, for I am with you all the days of your life.” And immediately, with the word of the Lord, the eyes of the martyrs opened, and when they saw the Lord, they worshiped him; And blessing him, he said, “Be strong and strengthen.” Then he went up to heaven. And out of the bodies of the saints they went out like scales, and became healthy, as they were before. But God-Neron commanded that the saints should remain in prison for three years to suffer in all sorts of torments there, and to die with evil death.

And after three years, having the king a servant of his prison in that prison, he sent his men to bring him out. So the priests went to the prison, saw the martyrs living and healthy, and told the Emperor that the Galileans who were blinded by him now see and are healthy, and the prison is full of light and a good, unclean smile that It was made a holy house to the glory of God; And there are many people running and believing in their God and being baptized by them.

Hearing these things, Neron came out of his mind, and sending soldiers brought them before him, and said, “Have I not commanded you not to preach in the name of Christ, so how preach it in the prison? I will lay upon you many and hard work. ” And the saints said, “Whatever you will, but we will not cease to announce our Lord Jesus Christ, that God is true and the maker of all.” But with this the tyrant began to anger, and commanded to crucify the saints with their heads downward and to struggle their bodies for three days until their wrists were uncovered. In doing so, savages and idolaters hung them and left them for four more days, guarding them. Then, going to see if they still live, they have blinded themselves as they have seen. And the angel of the Lord, coming down from heaven, hath unleashed the saints, and kissing them, hath made them sound of all their wounds. Then Photius, pitying for the blindness of the servants, prayed to God for them, and immediately they took their light back to their eyes and believing in Christ, they were baptized.

When the tyrant was told of them, he ordered to skin the skin of Saint Fotinia, and at the time that they married her, the saint sings, “Lord, you have researched me and you have met Me.” After they skinned her skin, they threw it into the river, and they threw it into a sharp shaft. But to the other martyrs: Sebastian, Fotinus, and Iosi, they cut off their birthrights and threw them to the dogs; They skinned them and threw them into the river, and they threw them into an old bath. Then the five sisters of Saint Fotinia, putting them before him, ordered them to cut their breasts first, then skinned them on their skin. However, when the servants were to juggle Saint Photida, she did not receive to be held by anybody; But she stood alone with great bravery and manhood, and skinned her skin, that the tyrant of her patience marveled. After this torment, the wretched man found another torture for her, heavy and losing, for he commanded and departed two tree peaks that were in his garden, and they bound Saint Fotida to the two peaks. Then He immediately freed them, and the saint broke into two parts, and thus gave her holy soul into the hands of God. Then he commanded the loser to cut off the other martyrs with the sword. And blissfully Fotinia, pulling her out of that well, he locked her in the dungeon.

But she, being alone and not crowned with the witness of the confession together with the other confessors, grieved and prayed for this God, who showed them and, sealing it with the sign of the righteousness and life to the cross three times, to Made her healthy of all her wounds. And after many days, praising and blessing God, he gave in his hands the honest and holy soul. And so they all went to God what they wanted, and they acquired the kingdom of heaven, to whom God, like us, to give us our hearts through their prayers. Amen.