Samaritans

Samaritans
source
Group	Samaritans
Population	~840
Region1	West Bank
Pop1	~415
Region2	Holon
Pop2	~425
Religions	Samaritanism
Languages	Levantine Arabic, Modern Hebrew, Samaritan Hebrew, Samaritan Aramaic

Samaritans. The Samaritans are a distinct ethnoreligious group tracing their origin to the ancient Israelites of the Kingdom of Israel. They are defined by their adherence to Samaritanism, a religion closely related to but distinct from Judaism, centered on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nablus. The community, which numbers fewer than one thousand individuals, is divided between their historic heartland around Mount Gerizim in the West Bank and the city of Holon in Israel.

History

The community's origins are rooted in the aftermath of the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, which led to the exile of much of the population and the subsequent settlement of other peoples in the region of Samaria. During the Persian period, tensions with returning exiles from Babylon who rebuilt Jerusalem and the Second Temple solidified the schism. The construction of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim during the Hellenistic period further entrenched the separation. Historical accounts by chroniclers like Flavius Josephus document conflicts with the Hasmonean dynasty, particularly under John Hyrcanus, who destroyed the Gerizim temple around 110 BCE. The community survived through the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods, though their numbers dwindled significantly due to persecution, conversion, and events like the bloody suppression of a revolt by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. The modern revival began in the 19th century, aided by contact with Western scholars and later recognition by the State of Israel after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Demographics

The total Samaritan population is approximately 840 people, representing one of the world's smallest ethnoreligious groups. They reside primarily in two locations: the village of Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim near Nablus in the West Bank, and the Neve Pinchas neighborhood in the city of Holon within the Tel Aviv District. The community has experienced a slow but steady demographic recovery from a historic low of just 146 individuals in 1917, thanks to a relatively high birth rate and efforts to ensure genetic diversity by permitting marriage with converts, primarily Jewish women from outside the community. All Samaritans hold Israeli citizenship, with those in the West Bank also holding Palestinian Authority identity cards.

Religion

Their faith, Samaritanism, is based on a version of the Torah known as the Samaritan Pentateuch, which differs textually from the Masoretic Text and affirms Mount Gerizim as the chosen site for God's temple, not Jerusalem. They reject the later books of the Hebrew Bible and the authority of the Oral Torah. The high priest, a direct descendant of Aaron through Eleazar and Phinehas, leads the community from Mount Gerizim. Major observances include the pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, with the Passover sacrifice on Gerizim being a central and public ritual. Their liturgical languages are Samaritan Hebrew and Samaritan Aramaic.

Culture

Samaritan culture is a unique blend of ancient Israelite traditions and influences from the surrounding Arab and modern Israeli society. They are predominantly bilingual or trilingual, using Levantine Arabic and Modern Hebrew daily, while preserving Samaritan Hebrew for religious purposes. Traditional Samaritan script, a direct descendant of the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, is used in religious contexts. Family structure is patriarchal and tightly knit, with a strong emphasis on community cohesion. Their calendar, which marks festivals on slightly different dates than the Rabbinic Jewish calendar, governs the annual cycle of life.

Relationship with Judaism

The relationship has been characterized by mutual alienation and occasional hostility for millennia, rooted in theological disputes over the sanctity of Mount Gerizim versus Jerusalem and the legitimacy of the priesthood. The New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan reflects this historic enmity. Halakhically, Rabbinic authorities like Maimonides considered them a distinct group, not fully Jewish. In the modern era, the State of Israel legally defines them as a separate entity under the Law of Return, though they are granted citizenship. While tensions have eased, and there is cooperation on some civic levels, the fundamental religious divisions concerning the Torah, the priesthood, and the holy mountain remain absolute and defining.

Category:Ethnoreligious groups Category:Semitic peoples