Bible Dictionaries
Jacob's Well

　　JACOB’S WELL.—On the arrest of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas, Jesus left Judaea and returned with His loosely-attached followers to Galilee (Mark 1:14). He travelled by ‘the great north road’ through Samaria. This road, after skirting the W. edge of the plain of Mukhneh, and passing under the slopes of Gerizim, enters the wide bay forming the approach to the Vale of Nâblus. Here it divides, one branch striking west, the other going north across the bay, past the ruins and spring of ʽAskar. In the fork of these roads is Jacob’s Well (Bir Yâkûb), where Jesus, being wearied with His journey,—it was about the hour of noon,—sat down and rested (John 4:6).

　　The well is described (John 4:5) as in the neighbourhood of ‘a city of Samaria called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.’ This parcel of ground (τοῦ Ἰακώβ: in John 4:11 the woman refers to it as [Note: GHL Historical Geog. of Holy Land.] p. 676). The woman’s presence at the well at noon may have been due to the fact that she was seeking water for workmen on the adjacent cornlands, rather than for domestic use (PEFSt [Note: RP Biblical Researches in Palestine.] 2 [Note: Palestine, Palestinian.] 215 f.; Stanley, SP [Note: EFSt Quarterly Statement of the same.] , 1897, pp. 96, 149, 196; Expos. Times, v. [1893] 97 f.

　　A. W. Cooke.