Conflicts with Samaria

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Conflicts with Samaria

• Lauren Bothereau

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Samaria Overview

• Both a region and (later) a capital city
• Originally settled by tribes of Joseph and
  Ephraim (13th century B.C.)
• Major places Shechem, Mt. Gerizim
• Samaria (city) built in 9th century B.C.

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Early History

• First references to area
• Gen 126-7, 3318-20 Abram and Jacob build
  altars in Shechem
• Deut 1129 Mt. Gerizim is blessed
• Deut 27 Moses builds altar on Mt. Gerizim

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Assyrian Conquest

• Hoshea becomes king of Israel in Samaria (city)
• Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came to attack
  Hoshea and invaded entire land of Samaria
  (region)
• 2 Kings 173-6a (Message)
• 2 Kings 175-6a
• Samaria destroyed in 721 B.C.

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Struggle for Control

• 7th century BC short-lived attempts by Judah to
  politically culturally control Samaria
• 6th century BC Babylonians conquer Judah
  incorporate Jerusalem and northern Judah into
  district of Samaria
• 5th century BC Persians separate Jerusalem and
  Samaria restore province of Judea, causing
  hostility from governor of Samaria
• Judeans hostile towards Samaritans who want to
  help reconstruct Jerusalem temple

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Temple on Mt. Gerizim

• Revolt broke out in 4th century BC that forced
  much of local population to flee cities of
  Samaria and Shechem rebuilt by remaining
  disenfranchised Samaritans
• This group of Samaritans built a temple to the
  Hebrew God on Mt. Gerizim
• These are the Samaritans encountered in the New
  Testament

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• During the 2nd century BC, (ca. 128), Samaria and
  Shechem were destroyed by John Hyrcanus
• Jews destroyed temple as well
• Region -gt Judean control
• Actions increased hostility between groups

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Relationship between Jews and Samaritans

• Jews and Samaritans share a common origin, but
  greatly differ in regard to the sanctity of
  Jerusalem (Jews) Mt. Gerizim (Samaritans)
• John 420
• Negative attitude led to complete avoidance of
  one another
• Samaritan Woman at Well
• Parable of Good Samaritan (Luke)

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Relationship between Jews and Samaritans

• Eventually it was standard practice for Jews to
  completely avoid the region of Samaria when
  traveling to Jerusalem
• Samaritans were excluded from the Jerusalem
  Temple, and were therefore considered
  foreigners to the Jews, despite common heritage

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New Testament Application

• In order to travel down to Jerusalem, Jesus had
  to go through Samaria (John 44)
• Jews and Samarians had a long history of fighting
  and conflict, and wanting nothing to do with one
  another

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NT Application (cont.)

• Luke 951-53
• Samaritans hostile to Jews traveling to
  Jerusalem Jews frequently took the Jordan River
  route
• John 49
• Jews would be considered ceremonially unclean if
  they used a drinking vessel handled by a
  Samaritan
• John 420
• Difference in worship site