The Origin of the Samaritans (SUPPLEMENTS TO VETUS TESTAMENTUM, 128)

Many Bible readers will think that chapter 17 of the second book of Kings refers to the origin of the Samaritans. This understanding of the chapter has its earliest attestation in the works of Josephus. The present book evaluates the methods often used for finding the origin of the Samaritans, makes an assessment of well known and new material, and ventures into some uncharted territory. It is suggested that the moment of birth of the Samaritans was the construction of the temple on Mount Gerizim. This happened in the first part of the fourth century bornc.e. in accordance with the original commandment of Moses in Deut 27:4 CONTENTS......Page 7 Preface......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 13 1. Introduction......Page 15 2.1. Josephus' Version of the Origin of the Samaritans......Page 31 2.2. The Church Fathers......Page 34 2.3. The Samaritan Version of the Origin:The Chronicles......Page 36 Background in Josephus......Page 37 The Tolidah /Chronicle Neubauer......Page 38 The Kitab al-Tarikh by Abu"l Fath......Page 41 The Arabic Book of Joshua......Page 48 The New Chronicle /Chronicle Adler......Page 51 Chronicle II......Page 53 3.1. The Impact of the Samaritan Version......Page 59 3.2. Josephus' VersionMirrored in Scholarship......Page 63 The Cross-PurvisHypothesis......Page 73 R. J. Coggins' Model: Estrangement, and no Reconciliation......Page 82 "Cain and Abel"......Page 83 4.1. Terminology and Sources......Page 85 4.2. Josephus' Tendenz......Page 94 Opportunism......Page 96 4.3. The First Story: An Eastern Origin......Page 99 4.4. The Second Story: Origin from Jerusalem and Construction of the Temple......Page 104 4.5. TheThird Story: Sidonians......Page 110 4.6. The Destruction of the Temple......Page 114 4.7. Further Information on the Samaritans......Page 117 4.8. Summing up so Far......Page 118 4.9. Genesis 34 in Josephus' Rendering......Page 120 5. Josephus' Predecessors......Page 123 5.1. Genesis 34......Page 125 5.2. Genesis 34 Interpreted in the LXX......Page 131 5.3. Demetrius the Exegete and Chronographer......Page 133 5.4. Theodotus......Page 136 5.5. Sirach 5:25–26......Page 154 5.6. Jubilees 3......Page 163 5.7. 4QNarrative and Poetic Compositiona-c......Page 174 5.8. Aramaic Levi Document and Testament of Levi......Page 185 5.9. Judith......Page 196 5.1. Joseph and Aseneth......Page 203 5.11. Philo......Page 206 5.13. Genesis 34 in the Samaritan Pentateuch......Page 208 5.14. Conclusions......Page 213 Shechem/Tell Balatah......Page 217 Tell er-Ras......Page 219 Mount Gerizim/ Jabal at-Tur......Page 220 6.2. The Inscriptions fromMount Gerizim......Page 223 6.3. The Inscriptions fromDelos......Page 230 Excursus: Later Samaritan Inscriptions......Page 239 6.4. Texts with "Argarizein"......Page 242 2Maccabees 5:23 and 6:2......Page 250 Josephus' War 1.63......Page 254 Masada Fragment 1......Page 255 Pseudo-Eupolemus......Page 257 6.5. Summary......Page 270 7.1. The Samaritan Pentateuch in theWest......Page 273 7.2. The Predecessors of the Samaritan Pentateuch in Qumran......Page 277 7.3. TheMajor Expansions......Page 279 4QpaleoExodm = 4Q22......Page 281 4QNumb = 4Q27......Page 284 RP = 4Q158: a, 4Q364: b, 365: c, 366: d, 367: e......Page 285 4Q175......Page 286 7.4. Explanations......Page 287 7.5. A Layer ofMajor Expansions......Page 290 7.6. Script......Page 302 7.7. The Samaritan Tenth Commandment......Page 304 7.8. Moses as a Prophet in the Durran......Page 310 7.9. Conclusion......Page 313 Excursus: Deuteronomy 27:4 in the Old Greek Papyrus Giessen 19 and in the Old Latin Lyon Manuscript, and the Altar-Pericope in Joshua 8:3–35......Page 314 Chart 1: Major Expansions in the Samaritan Pentateuch: Gen 1–Exod 11......Page 324 Chart 2: Major Expansions in the Samaritan Pentateuch: Exod 12–Deut 34......Page 325 8.1. A Prophet likeMoses......Page 327 8.2. The Canon of the Prophets......Page 330 Literary Analysis......Page 331 The Oldest Stratum......Page 339 The Accusations against Isaiah......Page 343 8.4. 4QList of False Prophets ar /4Q339......Page 351 8.5. False Prophets fromthe North......Page 358 8.6. True and False Prophets......Page 360 8.7. Conclusion......Page 362 9.The Origin of the Samaritans......Page 365 9.1. The Construction of the Temple......Page 367 9.2. The Biblical Evidence......Page 376 Bibliography......Page 385 Index of Ancient Sources......Page 407 Index ofModern Authors......Page 413 Subject Index......Page 417 The Legacy From Josephus -- State Of The Question -- Josephus And The Origin Of The Samaritans -- Josephus' Predecessors -- Samaritan Inscriptions And Related Texts -- The Pentateuch That The Samaritans Chose -- The Samaritan Attitude To The Prophets -- The Origin Of The Samaritans. By Magnar Kartveit. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [371]-392) And Indexes. This book evaluates the methods often used for finding the origin of the Samaritans, assesses well known and new material, and suggests that the decisive event was the construction of the temple on Mount Gerizim in the first part of the fourth century b.c.e.