Samaritans

Samaritans, often calling themselves Israelite Samaritans, are an ethnoreligious group from the ancient Near East. They come from the Hebrews and Israelites and live in Samaria, an old region of ancient Israel and Judah. They follow Samaritanism, a religion that believes in one God and is closely related to Judaism.

The Samaritans believe they are descendants of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Levi. They think they are the true keepers of the Mosaic covenant. Unlike most Jewish people, they believe that Mount Gerizim, not the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is God's holy place.

In ancient times, the Samaritans were a large group, but their numbers fell after revolts and tough rules under the Byzantine Empire. Over time, many people became Christian or Muslim, making the Samaritan group smaller. By the 12th century, there were only about 1,900 Samaritans left. Their numbers got even smaller, down to about 100 people, but today they have grown to around 900. Today, most Samaritans live in two places: Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim near Nablus, also known as ancient Shechem, and in Holon near Tel Aviv. They are one of the world's smallest ethnoreligious groups.

Attributions

The Samaritan community is small. About 900 people live in two places: Holon in Israel and Kiryat Luza in the West Bank. People in Kiryat Luza speak South Levantine Arabic. People in Holon mainly speak Modern Hebrew. They use special ancient languages, Samaritan Hebrew and Samaritan Aramaic, written in a unique Samaritan script, for their religious services.

Samaritan beliefs say their leading Samaritan High Priest has been in place for over 3,600 years. This started with the prophet Aaron. As of 2013, the current high priest is Aabed-El ben Asher ben Matzliach. In Israel, Samaritans are recognized as their own religious group. They all have Israeli citizenship. Those living in Kiryat Luza also have Palestinian citizenship.

Etymology and terminology

Old writings from the Samaritan community in Delos, from between 150 and 50 BCE, show that they called themselves Bene Israel, meaning "children of Israel" in Hebrew. This shows they thought of themselves as descendants of the prophet Israel, also known as Jacob.

In their own language, Samaritan Hebrew, they call themselves "Israel", B'nai Israel, or Shamerim, which means "Guardians", "Keepers", or "Watchers". In Arabic, they are called al-Sāmiriyyūn. The word "Samaritans" in modern English comes from their home region, Samaria. The name reflects their role as "Guardians of the Law" according to the Samaritan Pentateuch.

Origins

The Samaritans have different ideas about where they come from compared to the Jews. Samaritans say they are descendants of the ancient tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh in Samaria. They say they split from the Judean-led southern Israelites during the time of the biblical priest Eli. Eli, they believe, set up a different holy place at Shiloh.

Orthodox Jewish tradition, based on sources like the Talmud, says Samaritans came later, around the time of the Babylonian captivity. Some Jewish texts call them Cuthites, linking them to people from the ancient city of Kutha in Iraq. Over many years, Samaritans developed their own identity, different from Jews. This process took a long time.

History

The Samaritans are an ancient group whose roots are in the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They began in Samaria, an old region of Israel and Judah. They follow Samaritanism, a religion that believes in one God, and it grew up alongside Judaism.

During the Persian time, the Samaritan community started to form. After the Babylonian exile, problems grew between the Jews who returned and the Samaritans, causing a split. Later, in the Hellenistic time, there was more trouble, especially under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The destruction of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim by the ruler John Hyrcanus made the split between Samaritans and Jews deeper.

In the Roman time, Samaritans appear in Christian stories, like the parable of the Good Samaritan. During the First Jewish–Roman War, a big uprising by Samaritans was stopped by Roman soldiers. Later, under Byzantine rule, Samaritans faced hard times and revolts, which made their numbers much smaller. Even so, the Samaritan community survived and kept their traditions alive.

Genetic studies

Further information: Genetic history of the Middle East

See also: Genetic studies on Jews and Israelites § Genetics

Genetic research has looked at the family lines of the Samaritan community. Studies show that Samaritans belong to four main family lines. These lines go back to different ancient tribes.

Tests of male DNA found that most Samaritan men share a specific genetic marker. This marker links them to ancient Israelite families. The studies also show that Samaritan ancestry is closely related to Jewish groups. Their maternal lines show similarities to Iraqi Jewish families. Overall, Samaritan DNA places them among other groups from the Levant region.

Demographics

There were once around 1 million Samaritans during biblical times, but today their numbers are much smaller. In recent years, the population has grown from about 100 people in 1786 to around 820 by 2019. Today, about half of the Samaritan community lives in Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim, a sacred site for them, while the other half lives in Holon. Some Samaritan families also reside in places like Binyamina-Giv'at Ada, Matan, and Ashdod.

Because the Samaritan community is very small and divided into just a few families, they often marry within their extended families. The leader of the Samaritan community is called the Samaritan High Priest, and the current one is Aabed-El ben Asher ben Matzliach.

Samaritanism

Main article: Samaritanism

Samaritanism is the religious tradition of the Samaritans. They focus on the Samaritan Pentateuch, which they believe is the original version of the Torah. They say it was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This text is a little different from the one used in Judaism.

Samaritans believe that Mount Gerizim near the ancient city of Shechem is the holiest place. In Judaism, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is considered sacred.

Samaritan beliefs include the idea that there is one God. They believe the Torah was given by God to Moses. They also believe in the resurrection of the dead, led by a figure called the Taheb. Their religious practices and texts, like the Memar Marqah and the Defter (a prayer book), are different in some ways from Jewish traditions.

Christian sources: New Testament

The Samaritans are mentioned in several books of the New Testament, including Matthew, Luke, John, and Acts. One of the most famous stories is the Parable of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke.

In these stories, Jesus teaches his followers to be kind and accepting. For example, he helped ten people who were very sick, and only one of them—a Samaritan—came back to thank him. Jesus also talked with a Samaritan woman and shared his messages with many Samaritans. They chose to follow him because of his kindness. These stories show how Jesus wanted people to treat others with care, no matter where they were from.

Notable Samaritans

Some well-known Samaritans throughout history include Sanballat I, a leader who lived long ago, and Simon Magus, known for his stories in early Christian texts. Other important figures are Eudokia of Heliopolis, a saint in some traditions, Baba Rabba, a key religious leader for the Samaritans, Justa, known for her role in ancient debates, Marinus of Neapolis, who helped establish Samaritan religious practices, Sofi Tsedaka, a modern Samaritan scholar and author, and Nader Sadaqa, a contemporary community leader.