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Remnants of ancient church keep this family in Sebastia

Abu Abdullah volunteered to look after the remaining walls of St. John the Baptist Church in Sebastia, which he refuses to leave even though his family is the only remaining Christian family in the village.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank — Sami Said Debebne, also known as Abu Abdullah, lit up the Christmas tree at his residence Dec. 16 in Sebastia village, Nablus governorate, in the northern West Bank. This came one day after he, his wife and their three children attended the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the city of Nablus, nearly 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from his village.

Debebne, 50, works as a secretary at the Rujeib elementary school for boys in Nablus. His family is the only remaining Christian family in Sebastia village, where 3,500 people live and which is rich in ruins.

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