The samaritans

The Samaritans are a small ethno-religious group originating from the ancient Israelites. They trace their lineage to the tribes of Ephraim* and *Manasseh, who remained in the land after the Assyrian Exile (Assyrian Exile).

• The Samaritans accept only the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) as sacred scripture.
• They reject Jerusalem and Mount Moriah as the divinely chosen sites for worship.
• Instead, they venerate Mount Gerizim near Shechem (modern Nablus) as the true holy place designated by God.

• Following the Assyrian conquest (8th century BCE), many Israelites were exiled, and new settlers from pagan nations were brought into the region. The intermingling of these peoples led the Judeans to regard the Samaritans as religiously and ethnically compromised.
• The Samaritans later constructed a temple on Mount Gerizim around 322 BCE.
• During the post-exilic period, they offered to help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem but were rejected by the returning Judeans.
• In response, they allegedly bribed Persian officials and sent letters to King Darius, denouncing the Jews’ efforts to rebuild.

Despite centuries of persecution and decline, a small Samaritan community still exists today, divided mainly between Nablus (Mount Gerizim) and Holon (near Tel Aviv).

In Antiquities of the Jews, Flavius Josephus describes the Samaritans as opportunistic in their identity:

• When the Jews prospered, the Samaritans claimed kinship with them.
• When the Jews suffered, they denied any connection, presenting themselves as descendants of foreigners.

Josephus also recounts the destruction of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim under John Hyrcanus (late 2nd century BCE).