The Samaritans are an ethnic and religious group in Israel, descended from the Israelites and sharing a religion similar to Judaism. They endorse intermarriage with Jews to prevent genetic problems. Their history and relationship with Jews is reflected in the Bible. They are named after “keeper of the law” and consider Mount Gerizim holy. They speak modern Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic and keep their own versions of Hebrew and Arabic alive in religious worship.
Samaritans are a distinct ethnic and religious group found primarily in Israel today. The history and origins of the Samaritans are actually a bit difficult to pin down, as many of their writings have not survived to this day, but genetic evidence clearly indicates that they are descended from the Israelites. In addition to sharing a genetic heritage with the Israelites, the Samaritans also share a religion; their religious faith is very similar to Judaism, although there is some controversy between the two religions regarding holy places and religious texts.
Today, fewer than 1,000 Samaritans are known to live, from four different families. Many of them live on Mount Gerizim, a sacred site for their religious beliefs, and others are found scattered across various regions of Israel and the Occupied Territories, where they are treated as a religious minority. Concerned that the rich cultural history and traditions of the Samaritans would die out, the group endorsed intermarriage with members of the Jewish faith, in hopes of preventing the genetic problems associated with a small gene pool.
As a distinct group, the Samaritans emerged around the time the Assyrians invaded Israel, in 722 BCE. Their version of the Torah emerged in 300 BC, reflecting a schism between Samaritans and Jews, and relations between the two groups remained extremely hostile. Understanding the history of the relationship between the Samaritan and the Jewish people can explain some of the appearances of Samaritans in the Bible, especially in the story of the Good Samaritan, a parable that was meant to illustrate that all people had the potential for compassion.
Many people believe that the Samaritans are named after Samaria, a city in northern Israel. However, they are actually named after a term meaning “keeper of the law,” reflecting the importance of the Torah and other religious texts in Samaritan culture. The Samaritan and Jewish versions of the Torah have a number of differences and also differ on a few key issues. Samaritans, for example, consider Mount Gerizim to be a holy place, while members of the Jewish faith do not, who venerate Mount Zion.
In addition to appearing in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, Samaritans are also found in the Torah, where they are known as Kuthim. Like other modern residents of Israel, Samaritans speak modern Hebrew, and residents of the occupied territories speak Palestinian Arabic. In religious worship, Samaritans speak their own versions of Hebrew and Arabic, keeping these languages alive for future generations to study, learn, and appreciate.
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