VISUAL THEOLOGY

Jacob's Well (Arabic: بئر يعقوب‎, Bir Ya'qub, Hebrew: באר יעקב‎; also known as Jacob's fountain and Well of Sychar) is a deep well hewn of solid rock that has been associated in religious tradition with Jacob for roughly two millennia. It is situated a short distance from the archaeological site of Tell Balata, which is thought to be the site of biblical Shechem. The well currently lies within the complex of an Eastern Orthodox monastery of the same name, in the city of Nablus in the West Bank. Jewish, Samaritan, Christian, and Muslim traditions all associate the well with Jacob. The well is not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament, but Genesis 33:18-20 states that when Jacob returned to Shechem from Paddan Aram, he camped "before" the city and bought the land on which he pitched his tent. Biblical scholars contend that the plot of land is the same one upon which Jacob's Well was constructed. Jacob's Well is mentioned by name in the New Testament (John 4:5-6) which says that Jesus "came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there." The Gospel of John goes on to describe a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman (called Photini in Orthodox tradition), that took place while Jesus was resting at the well (John 4:7-15 ) The site is counted as a Christian holy site ■