בין הגליל ליהודה: להתהוותה של הגיאוגרפיה הנוצרית הקדושה בשומרון

Abstract

This article deals with the creation of a Christian "holy geography" in Samaria. Byzantine authorities and Church clergy, among others, embarked upon a long and complex process through which they attempted to Christianize the entire region of Samaria. This included gaining control of holy sites and exerting pressure on the Samaritan population to convert to Christianity. This article demonstrates that most Christian attention was devoted to the Samarian cities of Neapolis and Sebastia. The holy sites in Nablus were related to biblical figures such as Jacob and Joseph, who were viewed as prefiguring Jesus. The central holy site in Sebastia was related to the figure of John the Baptist and, to a lesser extent, other biblical figures such as Obadiah and Elisha. These attempts at Christianization were not successful in the Samarian countryside, and an enduring Christian presence was limited to the urban holy places.