Posted on 01/27/2021 5:36:45 AM PST by Cronos
...Many people who know this parable or the term ‘Good Samaritan’ are unaware of who the Samaritans really are. In actuality, the Samaritans are a unique people whose history can be traced to Biblical times. They are not considered ethnically Jewish or Arab, despite the fact that Samaritans have lived in close proximity to both groups for thousands of years. Though they used to be numerous, there are now only about 700 Samaritans left, divided between two towns near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They rarely marry non-Samaritans, and their religious practices are distinct from all Jewish sects. Their ability to remain both (seemingly) genetically and culturally isolated in one of the most diverse regions on Earth has piqued the interest of both geneticists and historians, who have spent years trying to understand this unique group of people tucked away in the Levantine desert.
The origins of the Samaritans have always been clouded in uncertainty. The traditional view is that, when the Jews were captured by the Assyrians in 721 BC as part of the infamous Babylonian Captivity, the Assyrians then repopulated Israel with people from the land of Samaria to the east. Then, when the Jews finally returned from exile 200 years later, they found these Samaritans already living in their ancestral homeland. As can be expected, tensions between the Samaritans and the Jews quickly escalated, and would persist for the next several hundred years.
...researchers argue that during the Babylonian Captivity, not all Jews were rounded up by the Assyrians. Some stayed behind, possibly marrying other Assyrian exiles who themselves had been relocated. This would make sense given that, even though Samaritans are not considered Jews, they share many of the same ancient Hebrew rituals. While these rituals have evolved for hundreds of years among most Jewish sects, they remain unchanged among the isolated Samaritans, even to this day. This also fits well with the historical animosity of Jews toward Samaritans because of their association with non-Jews.
But what do the genetic data reveal about the Samaritans’ origins? Luckily, there have been many genetic studies of the Samaritans, both to uncover their origins and to understand how they have survived so many generations of isolation. One such study by Peidong Shen and colleagues in the Journal Human Mutation has used both mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA of modern-day Samaritans to discover their origins and genetic relationship to Near Eastern Jews. Their results are fascinating.
The mitochondrial DNA results, which show maternal history (i.e. your mother’s mother’s mother, etc.), reveal no major difference between the Samaritans, Jews, or Palestinians in the Levant who were also sampled. These three groups have relatively similar maternal genetic histories. However, the story of the Y-chromosome, which shows paternal history (i.e. your father’s father’s father) is quite different. Indeed, not only are the Y-chromosomes of the Jews and Samaritans more similar to each other than either is to the Palestinians’, the Y-chromosomes of the Samaritans show striking similarities to a very specific Y-chromosome most often associated with Jewish men. Although the Samaritan type is slightly different from the Jewish type, it is clear that the two share a common ancestor, probably within the last few thousand years.
As a result, Shen and colleagues argue that the traditional hypothesis, that the Samaritans were transported into the Levant by the Assyrians and have no Jewish heritage, is largely incorrect. Rather, these Samaritan lineages are remnants of those few Jews who did not go into exile when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. Those who remained in the Levant may have take non-Jewish wives, which would account for the genetic admixture on the female side. But according to the authors the Y-chromosome clearly shows that the Samaritans and the Jews share common ancestry dating to at least 2,500 years ago.
The similarity between the Y chromosomes of Samaritans and Jews illustrates that groups considered quite distinct today can actually have relatively recent genetic connections. Indeed, we are all connected to each other in some way through our shared genes, shared ancestry, and shared history. The research into the origin of the Samaritans is just one example of this connection.
The Samaritans are the Jews that lived in the former Northern kingdom, who chose to inter-marry with the locals, which ticked off the Jewish Purists in the south.
How many of the sons of Jacob took wives from the local Canaanite population?
I thought Samaritans were descended from the Jews left behind when most of the Jewish elite were carried off to Babylon for the Captivity?
More of Abraham’s children.
Ping
Thanks zeugma.
Shen and colleagues argue that the traditional hypothesis, that the Samaritans were transported into the Levant by the Assyrians and have no Jewish heritage, is largely incorrect. Rather, these Samaritan lineages are remnants of those few Jews who did not go into exile when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. Those who remained in the Levant may have take non-Jewish wives, which would account for the genetic admixture on the female side. But according to the authors the Y-chromosome clearly shows that the Samaritans and the Jews share common ancestry dating to at least 2,500 years ago.
....researchers argue that during the Babylonian Captivity, not all Jews were rounded up by the Assyrians.
...and btw, how many of each kind of animal did Moses take on the Ark?
The Northern Tribes parted with the Tribe of Judah in the 10th Century BC. The Assyrian conquest occurred around two hundred years later in the last quarter of the 8th Century.
Shalmaneser made a practice of removing the people of conquered areas and resettling them elsewhere which is what happened to the remaining Northern Tribes. By 721, the tribes were no longer of the size and territory as they were in the 15th Century when Israel arrived in the Land; and the tribes were resettled in different locations.
In modern times, it may be relevant that the tribe of Dan was resettled in the area South of Damascus for the reason that the Man of Sin may well turn out to be an Assyrian Jew from that tribe whose personal history is in that geographical area (Dan is excluded from the tribal list in Revelation Chapter 7).
Really the Assyrian conquest in 721 by Shalmaneser had little to do if anything with the Babylonian conquest.
Late in the 7th Century BC (about 609), Nebuchadnezzar entered into a treaty with the remaining Israel (primarily the tribe of Judah) and took Hostages removing them to Babylon. Differences among the rulers (and perhaps God's assessment of the practices of the remainder of Israel resulting in judgment of Israel) resulted in Nebuchadnezzar's return (generally dated to August of 586 but perhaps as late as 584) when he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and removed the remaining Israelites to Babylon initiating the Babylonian Captivity which lasted until Ezra's return although some individuals were left by Nebuchadnezzer and some returned before Ezra.
The core area of the Northern Kingdom was where the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim settled—descendants of the sons of Joseph who was a son of Jacob. The other northern tribes were descended from other sons of Jacob—Reuben, Dan, Asher, Gad, Nephthali, Issachar, Zebulon. (Not sure what happened to Simeon—that tribe was settled south of Judah...but Joseph having two tribes makes 13 tribes.) Levites presumably divided between the two kingdoms.
I always understand the Samaritans were part of the sea Peoples invasion of Egypt, which would mean that were definitely mixed w the Semites, but from earlier origins than this article addresses.
Place marker
Samaritans were most definitely not linked in any way to tye Sea peoples. The gap in time is nearly 700 years
The notion of the Sea Peoples are a modern myth, used to fill gaps and a role in the conventional pseudochronology. They were the Greeks.
Probably accounts for the denigration of the Samaritans in the texts, eh?
Doesn’t pure Jewish lineage pass through the mother instead of the father? So if the Samaritans were marrying pagan hussies they were denying their children a pure line of descent.
Personal note: When going to Columbia lo these many years ago, a cute pretty Jewish girl caught my eye. We flirted and I knew she liked me, but she refused to go out with me. Finally I got the truth. Her father wouldn’t approve of her dating outside her faith.
Despite her misgivings I persuaded her to let me talk to him. After arriving at their Brooklyn home he was surprised but politely let me in. When I started talking about dating his daughter he cut me off, saying we don’t let her date Gentiles blah blah blah.
He was so unyielding I was desperate, so I blurted out, “I’m not a Gentile, I’m not. I’m a Texan”
He started laughing and finally gave us his permission and when I arrived for a date, he’d shout back to her, “Nancy, your Goy is here.”
Do Samaritans observe the ancient Torah laws?
An ancient Jewish group called Samaritans still exists today. Who are they? What is their history? What are some of their practices? Did they change Judaism? Or, are they practicing an early version of Judaism, practices that existed before alterations were made in Torah law?
The name Samaritan refers to the inhabitants of Samaria, north of Jerusalem, the area where Jeroboam established his kingdom around 922 BCE when he led ten of the Israelite tribes away from the kingdom of Rehoboam, the grandson of King David who thereafter remained king of only a couple of tribes. Jeroboam’s northern kingdom was called Israel and Rehoboam’s reduced monarchy was named Judea, after his tribe Judah.
The kingdom of Israel was defeated by the Assyrians in 722 BCE as described in II Kings 17. According to II Kings, all of the Israelites were exiled by the Assyrians and became known as “The Ten Lost Tribes” because we have no idea what happened to them. However, we know that the Bible frequently uses the term “all” in a hyperbolic manner and mean “many.” Thus the Bible may be saying that most of the Israelites were exiled.
II Kings states that the Assyrians replaced the Israelites in Samaria with people from various nations, including Cush. These people worshipped their idols and not the Lord, and according to II Kings God punished them by sending lions to kill them. The people were frightened and petitioned the king of Assyria to send them an Israelite priest so that they could learn how to worship the Lord. The king did so and the priest arrived and taught them how to worship the Lord. The story ends by stating that these people worshipped the Lord as instructed, but they continued to worship idols as well.
This is a rather strange tale. It seems unlikely that the Assyrians were able or even wanted to exile every Israelite from Samaria. More significantly, if God was so angered when they worshipped idols and not God and sent lions, why didn’t God send the lions again when these people resumed idol worship? Was God satisfied because besides worshipping idols they worshipped the true deity? This is unlikely because the chapter ends by stating that the Judeans were worshipping idols along with God and God was angry with them.
This is the biblical version of the origin of the Samaritans. The rabbis called them “Cutheans” because some of them arrived in Israel from the Babylonian city Cuth.
Samaritans argue that this tale is not true. They say they are remnants of the Israelites who were not included among their brethren exiled by the Assyrians because not all of their people were exiled. Therefore they call themselves Bnei Yisrael, Israelites. They also insist that they and they alone are observing the Torah, which the Judeans changed. Scholars are unable to decide which claim is true. Let’s examine some facts.
Like the Jews, Samaritans had a temple, but it was on Mount Gerizim and not on Mount Moriah, the site that King David set for the temple. The first Israelite temple was built by Solomon soon after he was crowned king in 967 BCE following some instructions from his father David. This first temple existed for about four hundred years until its destruction by invading Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Judeans built the second temple when many of them returned from the Babylonian exile in 516 BCE. It lasted until it was destroyed by invading Romans in 70 CE.
Samaritans date their temple during the governorship of Judea by Nehemiah during the second half of the fifth century BCE.[1] This temple was destroyed by the Judean leader and High Priest John Hyrcanus in 110 BCE. This was part of his campaign to consolidate an independent Judean state.[2]
Jews changed the Hebrew script during the Babylonian exile of 586 BCE, but the Samaritans retained the ancient paleo-Hebrew script that the Jews abandoned entirely after 135 CE. The representation of the Decalogue displayed in many synagogues is not true because the original Decalogue was composed in the paleo-Hebrew, not the modern Hebrew script.
The Samaritans only accept the first five books of the Bible, the Five Books of Moses, as the Bible. This is because Jews accepted the idea that the Bible has 24 books long after the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel. Although the idea that the Torah contains 613 commandments was first introduced into Judaism in the third century CE, many Samaritans accept the idea that the Torah contains this number of commands.
Samaritans have continued the biblical practice of offering sacrifices which Jews stopped after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. They offer the Pascal sacrifice that the Torah obligates to be brought on 14 Nissan, which the Torah calls Passover, a sacrifice which Jews no longer offer.[3] Jews also no longer observe Passover on 14 Nissan and instead call the seven day “Festival of Unleavened Bread,” that starts on 15 Nisan, Passover.[4]
Samaritans, Karaites, and Christians celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, Pentecost, on a Sunday, after seven full weeks, as Leviticus 23:11 mandates. The Torah states that the Israelites should count seven “full weeks after the Shabbat” after Passover and call the fiftieth day Shavuot, “Weeks.” The rabbis totally revamped this holiday and instead of it recalling the seven days of creation, it commemorates the season when the Decalogue was revealed. The rabbis understood Sabbath to mean Passover.[5]
As required by the Torah, Samaritans make a pilgrimage to their temple during the three pilgrimage festivals Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, a practice virtually all Jews ignore.
Samaritans offer their sacrifices on Mount Gerizim in Samaria, where the Israelites offered sacrifices for many centuries since Joshua entered Canaan until King David changed the venue to Jerusalem, which is not mentioned in the Bible. When Jeroboam seceded from the Davidic dynasty and created the northern kingdom of Israel and sacrifices were resumed in Samaria.
Unlike Jews who have scattered throughout the world, Samaritans have always lived close to their place of worship, Mount Gerizim in Samaria. This is why many people call them Samaritans. They feel that the Torah wants them to live in Israel.
While the Pharisees and later rabbis generally, but not always, changed biblical law to make Judaism easier and more enjoyable, the Samaritans retained stringent ordinances. Thus many of their practices are more stringent than those in Rabbinic Judaism. For example, Exodus 35:3 prohibits burning a fire in any dwelling on the Sabbath. The Pharisees and later rabbis interpreted “burn” as “ignite” and said the Torah only forbids igniting a fire. Samaritans retained the literal prohibition and spend the Sabbath in darkness.
There are more than 6,000 differences between the Masoretic text used by Jews and the Samaritan version of the Torah. For example, the Samaritan version combines the ninth and tenth command and adds the obligation to build an altar on Mount Gerizim. There are many scholars (I am not one of them) who contend that the original Torah (called the ur-Torah) was lost and we have three versions today: the Masoretic Text, the Samaritan Version, and the Greek translation the Septuagint.[6]
Samaritans and Muslims pray barefoot even as the ancient priests performed their duties in the ancient temple.
Do these and similar activities support the Samaritan claims that they are ancient Israelites and are maintaining Torah Judaism that Jews have abandoned? Whether one accepts their claim as to their origin or that of the rabbis, what is clear is that they are observing an ancient form of Judaism.
[1] Josephus claims that it was not until 322 BCE that Alexander the Great gave Samaritans permission to build a temple on Mount Gerizim. Recent excavations of the area led archeologist to believe that the temple was not built until around 200 BCE. It is possible that a large structure was built either in 322 or 200, but the Samaritans had a smaller shrine in the area during the earlier period.
[2] As part of his campaign, he also fought against the Edomites and after beating them, forcibly converted them. This is the first time that we hear of conversions in Jewish history.
[3] They offer a sheep for each family. Today only about twenty sheep are sacrificed for there are only about 600 Samaritans in existence today.
[4] This change is discussed in detail in my “Mysteries of Judaism.”
[5] See my “Mysteries of Judaism” for a full description of the biblical holiday Shavuot and why the rabbis changed it.
[6] In my first study of Targum Onkelos, a blue volume published by Ktav in 1980, I compared the changes that the Aramaic translator made to the text for about a dozen reasons such as to remove anthropomorphisms and to present a more favorable portrayal of Israelite ancestors. I compared these changes with the different wordings in the Septuagint, Samaritan Bible, and Samaritan Targum. I showed that the authors of the Septuagint and Samaritan Bible and Targum made changes in the Masoretic text just as the Targum Onkelos translator. Thus there is only one version, not three.
By Israel Drazin|March 8th, 2015|https://booksnthoughts.com/do-samaritans-observe-the-ancient-torah-laws/
Thanks
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