XIV. SYCHAR LACKED WATER

John 4:15.—“The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”

It seems, therefore, that there was no water in Sychar, and that the inhabitants had to come to this well to draw. Most likely it was at some little distance from the town, for the woman speaks of the labour of fetching the water as considerable; and Jesus stopped short of the town at the well, because He “was wearied with his journey,” whilst his disciples went on to buy bread.

Now, on the breaking out of the war with the Romans, some of the Samaritans assembled on Mount Gerizim, close to the foot of which (be it observed) was the city of Sychar placed [Sikima keimenhn proV tw Garizein orei—Joseph. Antiq. ii. 8. 6.] Upon this Vespasian determined to put some troops in motion against them. “For, although all Samaria was provided with garrisons, yet did the number and evil spirit of those who had come together at Mount Gerizim give ground for apprehension; therefore he sent Cerealis, the commander of the fifth Legion, with six hundred horse, and three thousand foot. Not thinking it safe, however, to go up the mountain and give them battle, because many of the enemy were on the higher ground, he encompassed all the circuit (upwreian) of the mountain with his army, and watched them all that day. But it came to pass, that whilst the Samaritans were now without water, a terrible heat came on, for it was summer, and the people were unprovided with necessaries, so that some of them died of thirst that same day, and many others, preferring slavery to such a death, fled to the Romans.”—Bell. Jud. iii. 7. § 32.

The troops of Cerealis, no doubt, cut them off from the well of Sychar, which, we perceive from St. John, was the place to which the neighbourhood were compelled to resort. This is the more likely, inasmuch as the soldiers of the Roman general do not appear to have suffered from thirst at all on this occasion.