Jacob's Well (Shechem, Israel)
City:
Nablus
State, Province, Region, or District:
West Bank
Country:
Israel
Overview
Jacob's Well (also known as Jacob's Fountain or the Well of Sychar) is located in Biblical Shechem in the Samaria region of Israel in the territory of Ephraim during Bible times. This area is known as Sychar in the New Testament, and today as Tel Balata village, a suburb of the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank.
The well is currently situated inside the Church of St. Photina, an Eastern Orthodox church at the Bir Ya'qub monastery. The well has been associated in religious tradition with the biblical patriarch Jacob for roughly two millennia. The site is also famously known as the site where Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink and offered her “living water” (John 4:1-26). (Photina is the name traditionally given to the woman at the well.)
Alternate Names
Jacob's Fountain, The Well of Sychar, Bir Ya'qub (Arabic); Phrear Iakob (Greek)
Geography & Location
Jacob's Well is located 249 feet (76 meters) from Tell Balata in the eastern part of the city of Nablus within the grounds of the Bir Ya'qub monastery. The well is accessed by entering the church on the monastery grounds, and descending the stairs to a crypt where the well still stands, along with "a small winch, a bucket, ex-voto icons and lots of lit candles."
Biblical, Historical, & Archaeological Background Information
Shechem
Architecture
Located in Nablus (historic Shechem) in the West Bank, Jacob's Well is an ancient, hand-dug shaft over. Based on a measurement made in 1935, the total depth of the well is 135 feet (41 meters). Its current architecture features a grand Greek Orthodox church complex constructed over a 12th-century Crusader chapel and an original 4th-century Byzantine foundation.
Biblical & Historical References
Shechem is the place where God first appeared to Abraham after he entered the Promised Land (Genesis 12:4-7).
Spiritual Lessons and Application
Of all the events that happened at Shechem, Jesus summed up God’s desire for us when He told the woman at the well, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 2:23–24).
Etymology
Jacob's Well (Arabic: Bir Ya'qub; Greek: Phrear Iakob) is a deep, historic water source in the West Bank city of Nablus (biblical Shechem). It gets its name from the biblical patriarch Jacob, who according to tradition purchased the land and dug the well. It is also the site where Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman.
Planning a Visit
Disclaimer: The information provided below may not be current. Travel details, entry requirements, and business operations are subject to frequent change due to holidays, seasonal fluctuations, maintenance, staffing levels, weather, and safety considerations. Always double-check with official sources before you go.
Places of Interest
Tel Balata
Virtual Visit
Access to Jacob’s Well is by entering the Church of St Photina and descending stairs in front of the iconostasis to the crypt.