Abstract

Four New Testament writings mention Samaritans and Samaria—Luke–Acts, John, and Matthew. We must consider that all Samaritan texts in the New Testament are based on a historically correct knowledge of the cult of YHWH worshippers in Samaria oriented towards the Gerizim. If the YHWH admirers in Samaria are to be understood as one of the two independent “Israel” denominations that existed in the Palestinian heartland during the post-exilic period, consequently, in John, Matthew, and Luke–Acts, attention is paid to their understanding of the ecclesiological significance of “Israel” and to Christological aspects. Moreover, the authors of the Gospels reflect a semantically young phenomenon, when Σαμαρῖται is understood beyond the ethnicon as a term for a group religiously distinct from Judaism. At the time of Paul, the term “Samaritan” had not yet been established to refer to the religiously defined group. This means that care must be taken when interpreting the term “Israel” and “Israelites” in all Jewish or Jewish-Christian texts written before 70 A.D. This also applies to Paul: when Paul speaks of “Israel”, “Israelites”, and “circumcision”, he could have consciously used inclusive terminology that, in principle, included the (later named) “Samaritans” in the diaspora.

Highlights

  • Four New Testament writings mention Samaritans and Samaria—Luke–Acts, John, and Matthew

  • The Gospel of Matthew mentions the Samaritans only once: at the beginning of the of the missionary discourse Jesus instructs the disciples in Matt 10:5–6 “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”2

  • If all source-language terms are not identified shows that they can only be reconciled with the category if one looks from the outside etermines the category “Judaism” on the basis of some Jewish identifying characteristics

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Summary

Which Texts Are Relevant?

Is itpoint aboutofSamaritans primarilynot largely invisible in the early on the Diaspora, because theirin significant differentiation from If the latter is true, in what way are the Samaritans religiously defined ewish groups lay in the point of orientation to the place of worship, not in other joint principles of belief. Text as well as in the Septuagint orany of worship, no care must be taken when interpreting the term and in the texts written before Paul, even if these terms certainly cannot claim differentiation from in the point of orientation to the place her joint principles of belief. Σαμαρῖτις, and Σαμαρῖται, as well as the literarily formed figure of the cumcision”, he could have a precaution or out of real knowledge—used inclusive terminology that, in principle, included the in the in theIsrael, texts atand least partly concerns those who With were later named “Samaritans” and who were YHWH ippers, counted themselves among practiced circumcision. Theschematically arePaul special material (“Sondergut”), and because the comparative material is missing, it isthese notthe easy to

49 A critical or
Cor particular show that this was knew very“Judaism”
47 This also in textsthe written
47 This also applies to texts written before “Jews”passage and “Judaism”
46 Ἰσραὴλ
49 Anecessary wessary
47 This written re texts before
Cor and
Corthat
72 The the people of promise text in
49 A conception
67 According
73 The theme of Israel’s restoration has been prominent in recent studies of
86 The emergence of a Samaritan Christianity might thus have
84 Luke has inserted the passage beyond Mark 9
47 This 70 texts written before texts written
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