What is Samaritanism?

Introduction

We've all heard about the tale of "The Good Samaritan". But, who are the Samaritans? Do they still exist? Short answer: Yes. Samaritans are still around. Though a few Samaritans live throughout the world, the largest Samaritan community -with a population of around 800 people- is found in the city of Nablus, in the West Bank. The community has settled on Mount Gerizim, where God -according to the Samaritan Pentateuch- commanded Moses to build the Temple:

ࠁࠓࠅࠊ࠰ࠌࠍ࠰ࠃࠀࠌࠓ࠱

ברוך מנ דאמר:

Blesssed is He who said:

ࠅࠄࠉࠄ࠰ࠁࠏࠁࠓࠊࠌ࠰ࠀࠕ࠰ࠄࠉࠓࠃࠍ࠰ࠕࠒࠉࠌࠅ࠰ࠀࠕ࠰ࠄࠀࠁࠍࠉࠌ࠰ࠄࠀࠋࠄ࠰
ࠀࠔࠓ࠰ࠀࠍࠊࠉ࠰ࠌࠉࠑࠅࠄ࠰ࠀࠕࠊࠌ࠰ࠄࠉࠅࠌ࠰ࠁࠄࠓ࠰ࠂࠓࠉࠆࠉࠌ࠰

ࠅࠔࠃࠕ࠰ࠀࠕࠌ࠰ࠁࠔࠉࠃ࠽
ࠅࠁࠍࠉࠕ࠰ࠔࠌ࠰ࠌࠆࠁࠇ࠰ࠋࠉࠄࠅࠄ࠰ࠀࠋࠄࠉࠊ࠰ࠌࠆࠁࠇ࠰ࠀࠁࠍࠉࠌ࠰
ࠋࠀ࠰ࠕࠍࠉࠐ࠰ࠏࠋࠉࠄࠌ࠰ࠁࠓࠆࠋ࠽

והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום בהר גריזים ושדת אתם בשיד: ובנית שם מזבח ליהוה אלהיך מזבח אבנים לא תניף עליהם ברזל:

Deuteronomy 27:4-5 (Samaritan Pentateuch)¹

When you cross the Jordan, you shall raise these white washed stones, which I command from this day, on Mount Gerizim. You will build there an altar to God Yahweh^[2], a stone altar upon which you shall not wave iron.

Samaritan Identity and Judaism

Now, a clear distinction must be made before we can carry on: Samaritans do not consider themselves Jews, nor do they really consider themselves "Samaritans", per say. The call themselves "ࠁࠍࠉ࠰ࠉࠔࠓࠀࠋ") "בוי ישראל" — "Children of Israel") and "שמרים" ("ࠔࠌࠓࠉࠌ" — "The Observant Ones" or "Keepers [of the Torah]"). They only adopted the name "Samaritan", since that is what they were commonly referred to as by the Jews, due to the fact that the Samaritans lived in the northern land of Samaria.

Despite the fact that Samaritans are not Jews, they do share many common practices and beliefs. Both Jews and Samaritans used to be part of a unified tribe known as the Israelites. However, shortly after the Assyrian invasion of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE³, the Southern Kingdom of Judea cut ties with the North; and after a series of unfortunate events, relations between Samarians and Judeans soured, leading to both sides excommunicating each other overtime.

Principles of the Faith

As previously mentioned, the Samaritan faith shares many common aspects with Judaism. Nevertheless, it also has it's own unique tenets⁴:

Belief in ONE God Almighty of Israel: Yahweh.
Belief in ONE prophet: Moses, son of Amram (Mooseh ben Amram).
Belief in ONE Holy and True Sacred Scripture: The Torah (also known as the Pentateuch or the "Five Books of Moses" -Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy-) is the only book deemed to be inspired, specifically, the Samaritan version.
Belief in ONE Holy Chosen Place of worship: Mount Gerizim or Aargaareezem.

The previously mentioned beliefs form part of the principles of the faith. However, there are a couple extra beliefs which -though not considered as principles of the faith-, are still considered as fundamental:

The importance of sevens: The number 7 is highly regarded as a holy number.
The day of vengeance and recompense: Also known as "the day of judgement", is when the Taheb will come as bring justice to the world, repaying the good and punishing the evil.
The Taheb: Similar to Judaism, Samaritans believe in the Taheb, a prophet like Moses, who will bring justice on the day of judgement.

Observance, Celebrations and Holidays

Like the Jews, Samaritans observe the sabbath, Sukkot, Passover, Shavuot, the waving of the Omer, the deuteronomic purity and dietary laws, and go to the synagogue to pray.⁵

Unique Features of Samaritans

Samaritans use a variant of the ancient paleo-Hebrew script known as the Samaritan script. Samaritans also employ the use of mezuzot, normally in the form of a Torah blessing written -in Samaritan Script- over a piece of parchment, paper, or a slab, and placed over or on the sides of their door posts and entrances. As for the tefillin, Samaritans consider it to be more of a spiritual sense of "binding", rather than physical.

Conversion

Though a "proper" and "formal" conversion -done within the community located in Nablus- is encouraged in order to become a Samaritan, there isn't really anything to suggest one cannot convert to the faith without a "formal" ceremony. However, one must believe in the faith, be circumcised -if male-, and be willing to practice the faith. If you fill in those requirements, well then, congratulations: You can call yourself a Samaritan!

Footnotes & Sources

1. Samaritan Pentateuch:

a) Hebrew: Tsedaka, B. (2016). Israelite Samaritan Torah : Tsedaka, Yisrael ben Gamliel : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/IsraeliteSamaritanTorah/page/n2/mode/2up

b) English: Tsedaka, B. (2013). The Israelite Samaritan Version Of The Torah First English Translation Compared With The Masoretic Version ( PDFDrive ) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/the-israelite-samaritan-version-of-the-torah-first-english-translation-compared-_20220415/page/n35/mode/2up

c) English: Sigalov, A. (n.d.). Samaritan Pentateuch in English. STEP. https://www.stepbible.org/version.jsp?version=SPE

2. "Yahweh" is the traditional Samaritan pronunciation of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton יהוה (Literally - YHWH).

3. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (Invalid Date). Samaritan. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samaritan

4. Israelite Samaritan Information Institute. (2018, September 26). Faith of the Israelite Samaritans: Four unique principles. https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/religion/faith/#not

5. Lieber, D., & Luzi, I. (2016, October 19). Inside the Samaritan high priest’s fruity sukkah, literally. The Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/inside-the-samaritan-high-priests-fruity-sukkah-literally/