Origins of Samaritans and Their 500-Year History Before Jesus

The Samaritans originated from an intermixture of the ten tribes of Israel with Gentile nations following the Assyrian captivity, a heritage that made them odious to the Jews and led to a complete cessation of intercourse between the two groupsASC 184.2. The distinct Samaritan identity and their rival system of worship were established approximately 500 years before the time of JesusGEP 132.5+1.

The Origin of the Samaritans

• Mixed Ancestry: The Samaritans descended from the ten tribes of Israel who remained in the land and intermarried with the Gentile nations brought in by the conquerorsASC 184.2.

• Religious Separation: On the return from the Babylonian Exile, the Jews refused to allow the Samaritans to participate in the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, leading to a permanent religious schismETI Samaritan Pentateuch.2+1.

• Temple on Mount Gerizim: Under the leadership of Sanballat and a priest named Manasseh, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim to rival the one in JerusalemGEP 132.5+2. This temple was established during the reign of Darius Nothus, around 400 B.C., roughly four centuries before the birth of ChristGEP 132.5+1.

• The Law of Moses: The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch, or the five books of Moses, as divine authority, rejecting all other Jewish sacred writingsASC 184.2+2.

The Gap Between Their Emergence and Jesus

• Timeline of Conflict: The active opposition and "bitter bitterness" between Jews and Samaritans began during the days of Cyrus the Great (c. 530s B.C.) when the Samaritans hired counselors to frustrate the Jewish work in Jerusalem Ezra 4:4-5GEP 50+1.

• Centuries of Enmity: By the time Jesus emerged into the Plain of Samaria in the early summer of approximately 27-30 A.D., the two nations had been in open conflict for over 500 yearsSS 349.5+1.

• Cultural Divide: During this long interval, the Samaritans maintained a system of worship similar to the Jerusalem temple but founded on their own version of the LawETI Samaritan Pentateuch.2+1.

• Expectation of the Messiah: Despite the centuries of separation, the Samaritans continued to look for a Messiah based on the promise that God would raise up a Prophet like unto Moses Deuteronomy 18:15-18LTJMB3 136.1.

Jesus and the Samaritans

• Breaking Barriers: Although the Jews and Samaritans had no dealings for centuries, Jesus set aside these prejudices by speaking with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well and even staying in a Samaritan village for two days John 4:40-42LTJMB3 139.2+1.

• Spiritual Harvest: Jesus recognized that the Samaritans were often more ready to receive the truth than his own countrymen, as they accepted Him as the Savior of the world without requiring miracles2SP 145.1+2.

• A Lesson in Mercy: When the Samaritans once refused Him hospitality because He was going toward Jerusalem, Jesus rebuked His disciples for wanting to destroy them, reminding them that He came to save lives, not destroy them Luke 9:51-569LtMs, Ms 55, 1894, par. 3+1.