Samaritan Studies

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well in the Gospel of John provides one of the clearest expositions on the messiahship of Christ in the New Testament. “In a momentous self-disclosure that is unique to any Gospel narrative prior to Jesus’ trials, Jesus acknowledges that he is the Messiah.”  Suppose though, there had been another. What if the Jewish messiah, as they had expected him to be, had come, had ruled, and had failed one hundred years before the coming of Christ? He had come as a warrior king who reconstituted Judea, restored the temple and was purported to commune with the Divine - the fourth Hasmonean ruler, John Hyrcanus. Hyrcanus is not a name found in the Bible, nor known by many outside of biblical scholarship, but whose importance cannot be understated.  Edward Wicher, in his article, Ancient Jewish Views of the Messiah, makes the astounding claim that for a short time in Jewish history under the rule of Hyrcanus, “the pious Israelite imagined that the reign of Messiah had already begun upon the earth.”  But who was John Hyrcanus, how is his story linked to Jesus’ meeting with an outcast Samaritan at Jacob’s well and what implications does this have on Christ’s messiahship?

The study of the Samaritan version of Saadya Gaon’s translation of the Pentateuch (the tafsīr), mainly based on MS London BL OR7562, shows that a Saadyan version in Arabic Characters was adopted by the Samaritans and adapted to the Samaritan Hebrew Pentateuch. The transmission of this version in MS London BL OR7562 continued after the early Samaritan Arabic translation of the Pentateuch and perhaps also its later revision had already been created, since many of their translations were preserved in MS BL OR7562, mixed with its Saadyan basic text. As MS London BL OR7562 also contains numerous words and phrases paralleled only in Christian Arabic translations of the Pentateuch and Saadyan adaptations, mainly related to the Peshitta tradition, it is reasonable to assume that these were the sources of this Samaritan Saadyan version and possibly also of the other Samaritan Arabic translations. The Samaritan version of Saadya’s translation of the Pentateuch also reveals some parallels to tenth- and eleventh-century Karaite translations and it contains prominent Aramaic and Islamic vocabulary, unfamiliar in other versions of Saadya’s tafsīr.

This paper discusses the problems and state of the Samaritan diaspora situation in Antiquity. It was difficult for contemporaries to distinguish between Jews and Samaritans therefore it is more difficult to decide today whether a diaspora was Jewish or Samaritan. Even so, there are regions of the Eastern Mediterraneum where a Samaritan diaspora can be defined, though no history of any of them can be sketched.

The literary genesis of many texts within the Hebrew Bible can be explained as scriptural expansion ("Fortschreibung") or exegesis: Later texts expand older texts and regularly adapt them to new situations inside or outside the texts. The literary techniques and hermeneutical
reasons behind these processes are manifold, however not yet categorized comprehensively.
The volume attempts to demonstrate and categorize such phenomena of scriptural expansion ("Fortschreibung") or exegesis in the Pentateuch, its textual history, as well as in empirical examples from Qumran, Egypt and Mesopotamia in order to reveal their techniques, hermeneutics and theological intentions.

A comprehensive introduction to the people identified as Samaritans in both biblical and non-biblical sources. Besides analyzing the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, the book examines the Samaritans' history, their geographical distribution, their version of the Pentateuch, their rituals and customs, and their situation today.
http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6768/the-samaritans.aspx

The article deals with Saadia's approach to the Golden Calf story. Saadia believed Aaron wanted to test the people and see which people would worship the Calf so that he could later kill them, similarily to what Jehu did (2Kgs 10). The article discusses the reception of Saadia's idea in Judeo Arabic ans Samaritan literature. In: Jewish Biblical Exegesis from Islamic Lands: The Medieval Period, eds. Meira Polliack and Athalia Brenner Idan, Atlanta 2019, pp. 121-128

Con el propósito de entrenamiento de consultores de la traducción bíblica y para el beneficio de estudiantes, preparé un video sobre el Pentateuco samaritano. La idea fue dar un bosquejo del trasfondo y también reflejar las investigaciones más recientes al respecto.

Bosquejo:
00:00 Introducción: testigos textuales
02:15 Los samaritanos y su Pentateuco
04:20 Debates entre católicos y protestantes sobre el PS
06:47 Cuatro categorías de diferencias entre el Pentateuco samaritano y el Texto masorético
14:35 Una reevaluación del valor del PS
19:45 La aportación del PS para el estudio de la Biblia

The purpose of this brief paper is  to call attention to two developing lines of research in Pentateuchal studies that both, independently of each other, suggest that neither the Priestly Document nor the Pentateuch as a whole were either composed or redacted with a view to the legitimation of the Temple in Jerusalem.  The first line of research is the comparative study of Ezekiel and the Pentateuch, and the second is contemporary research in Samaritan origins, particularly Gary Knopper’s recent monograph on the subject.

In a 2009 article published in the journal Human Genetics entitled: “Extended Y chromosome haplotypes resolve multiple and unique lineages of the Jewish Priesthood” the authors found J1-P58 to be the most prevalent haplogroup among both Ashkenazic and Sephardic Cohanim. The question for our time of advanced yDNA testing is which sub-branch of J1-P58 would most accurately define the Aharonic yDNA haplogroup.Current evidence indicates that J1-Z18271 was the Cohanic haplogroup at Aharon's time. There are ten known sub-branches of Z18271, not all of which necessarily descend from  Aharon. From the current evidence, persons who discover they are within the J1-S17446 sub-branch, or descend from an ancestor within the J1-S17446 sub-tree, are themselves direct descendants of Aharon the Priest, and presumably distant nephews and nieces of Moses the Lawgiver and Miryam the Prophet. Update of 23 January 2021: Since the original publication of this paper, a multi-branch descending tree connecting Aharon the Priest to modern-day descendants has been re-constructed. A summary of these new findings entitled 'AharonSupplementalData_23Jan2021" is attached to the original paper. The earlier phylogeography of J1-Z18271 is covered in the companion paper: https://www.academia.edu/44710820/ (NB: Footnote 18 to 'Tracing the yDNA Lineage of Aharon..." was updated with new findings on 08 November  2021)

The relationship of Judah and Samaria in the period from the 6th to the 2nd century B.C.E is currently still being described as an uninterrupted period of ongoing conflicts between the Samarian and Judean YHWH-worshippers. This article examines evidence which offers an entirely different picture of Samarian-Judean relations in the post-exilic period: In the Levant in post-exilic times, there were two homologous Yahwisms in Judah and Samaria which existed side by side. It is for this reason that, when studying this formative period, scholars should give due consideration not only to Judah, but also to the North as well.

The present paper examines the phenomena of expansion of biblical texts at the cost of exclusion of rival authoritative textual traditions known from the Samaritan Pentateuch and the pre-Samaritan biblical scrolls from Qumran (4QpaleoExod-m and 4QNum-b) beyond the familiar corpus of Pentateuchal texts. It is argued that the same phenomena can also be found in 4QJoshua-a (the disputed passage about the altar on the Ebal), 4QSamuel-a (particularly 2 Sam 24) and the Septuagint of Joshua, 1 and 3 Kingdoms. An interesting parallel can also be found in the transmission of the early Ptolemaic papyri of the Homeric writings, the Iliad and Odyssey. The oldest documents are often label "eccentric manuscripts", but in fact reflect the very same phenomena as we find in the expansionistic biblical texts. The scribal tradition of expanding authoritative writings with passages from elsewhere within the same exclusive tradition is therefore a cross-cultural phenomenon and might point to the real Alexandrian scholarship background of early Jewish tradition.

The Gerizim composition found in the Samaritan text of the Ten
commandments in Exod 20 and Deut 5, according to medieval manuscripts, presents a deliberate scribal attempt to stress some main points of Pentateuchal hermeneutics, completely in line with the hermeneutics and the literary techniques attested in the pre-Samaritan textual layer. Nothing in the Gerizim composition itself, or in its insertion at these points of the Pentateuch narrative, is specifically “Samaritan.” Rather, the authors of this insertion seem to have been part of the scribal culture shared by followers of both the Jerusalem and Gerizim sanctuary.

Some recent discoveries at the Mount Gerizim excavations, together with the documents unearthed at W. Daliyeh (Samaria) and Elephantine (Egypt), provide significant clues on the Israelite history in the Persian period (5th and 4th cent. BCE), which collide with the narrati¬ves of Ezra-Nehemiah and Flavius Josephus because of their Judean and anti-Samaritan biases. This paper aims at a reassessment by showing that the Samaritans of Shechem reflect the most ancient Yahwist monotheism outside of the city of Samaria, founded in the 9th cent.
The first part focuses on the Persian period: there was first a common Israelite cult at the precincts of Gerizim and Jerusalem, and later two novelties came in Judea: some prophets wanted and obtained a temple (God’s dwelling place), and a group of reformers came from Babylonia (Josephus’ “Elders”, Ezra, Nehemiah) and built up a somewhat sectarian party. These conclusions involve major biblical problems.
The second part of the study examines the adjacent periods: later, the relationship between the Jews and Shechemites after Alexander, focusing especially on the period around the Maccabean crisis and the erection of the Onias Temple in Egypt; preceding this time, some biblical portions dealing with Solomon’s temple and some pre-exilic features.

This paper traces the development of three neighboring geo-ethnic units that existed in the southern Levant during and after the Persian Period: Judea, Samaria and Idumea. All three groups are the successors of Iron-Age states that were conquered and destroyed by the great Mesopotamian empires. All three groups underwent some form and measure of exile/displacement of population, of importation of foreign inhabitants, of destruction of urban centers and of rural settlements, of extreme social and economic changes, and of the disbandment of their former political structures. All three groups were reconstituted and re-formed during the Persian Period, and at least by the early Hellenistic Period were recognized as three specific ethne, each with its own autonomous self-governance within the Ptolemaic and then the Seleucid realms. There were, however, also significant differences between the three. Their specific histories, the time and manner in which the original Iron-Age states were terminated, imperial policy at the time, the fate of their inhabitants and of their land and many additional factors, all contributed to the formation of three very different groups, that emerged from the Persian Period into the Hellenistic world in different ways, and ultimately set out for very different destinies.

Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho [second century A.D.] is one of the earliest Christian works known to us. It is the first preserved Judaeo-Christian polemical document and many ancient authors seem to have been directly or indirectly inspired by it. However, the interest of this text exceeds its polemical function. Indeed, the Dialogue is an exceptional source of information on the relationship between Christianity, Judaism and Hellenism in their historical, philosophical and theological dimensions during late antiquity. Presented here is the first critical edition of this essential text, based on a reexamination of the two extant manuscripts and all earlier editions. It is accompanied by a translation, notes and commentaries, and a lengthy introduction which discusses, among other things, the organization of the work, and important lacuna, as well as exegetical and contextual problems.
This study aims to establish the text and to bring out the originality of his composition, which seems to reflect the influence of Rabbinical exegesis, both as material source for Justin and as a way of thinking.
Various indices (Greek words explained in the notes, names, biblical references, topics, ancient and modern authors) are intended to make more accessible a text described as “monstruous” by A. Harnack. This striking expression emphasized the paradox of an exceptionally rich work, too unwieldy to be properly exploited.

Le Dialogue avec Tryphon de Justin Martyr [IIe s.] est l’une des plus anciennes parmi les œuvres que la tradition chrétienne nous a léguées. C’est le premier écrit conservé de controverse judéo-chrétienne et de nombreux auteurs semblent s’en être inspirés, directement ou indirectement. Mais l’intérêt de cette œuvre déborde largement cette fonction. Le Dialogue se caractérise surtout par la richesse des informations qu’il offre pour notre connaissance des rapports entre christianisme, judaïsme et hellénisme à date ancienne, dans leur dimension historique, philosophique, exégétique et théologique.
Cette première édition critique, avec introduction (en plusieurs chapitres), traduction, notes, commentaires et indices, se fonde sur un examen nouveau des manuscrits. Elle prend en compte toutes les éditions antérieures et l’abondante bibliographie suscitée par le Dialogue. Elle vise à faire progresser l’établissement du texte en faisant ressortir l’originalité de sa composition et l’influence probable, pour le détail comme pour l’ensemble, d’une exégèse rabbinique dont Justin paraît exceptionnellement bien informé.
Les différents indices (des mots grecs commentés, des noms propres, scripturaire, analytique, des auteurs anciens, bibliographique) devraient rendre plus directement accessible un texte dont Harnack déplorait la « monstruosité » en expliquant ainsi le paradoxe d’une exceptionnelle richesse insuffisamment exploitée.

The field of Genetic Biblical Historicity is in its infancy, premised on a simple hypothesis holding that parts of the Bible may contain kernels of scientifically verifiable genealogy, but limited by the extensive sample size required to probe any body of big data. Recent work confirming the Cohanic yDNA lineage of J1-Z18271  has opened up the possibility of identifying other Levitic lines stemming from the same J1-Z18271, but there is today much confounding evidence of Levitic and Cohanic lines traditions stemming from  yDNA lineages which could not be related to that same founder. In this study I attempt to reconcile the divergent evidence into two working hypotheses.

In historical terms, there is evidence of an early political use of the name “Israel” (14th–9th centuries BC) and a much later religious use of it (3rd/2nd centuries BC); in the time in between, its predominant designation was “Samaria(ns).” Biblical and non-biblical evidence supports the notion that Israelites/Samarians settled in Judah as refugees after 721 BC, and therefore the impulse for the emergence of the biblical Israel can be located in the 8th century BC. -  CONTINUED with "Why Jews can also be called Israelites" AntOr 19 (2021)

All are invited to the first public viewing of The Samaritans: A Biblical People.-The Documentary, Yeshiva University, March 27, 2022.  The program is here! Register at yu.edu/samaritans

Good Samaritan laws protect do-gooders and Good Samaritan hospitals heal us. Samaritans appear in our holy texts-in the Bible, the Talmud, and across Jewish literature. The Samaritan people today number 850 souls, down from perhaps a million in the first century. They are split between Israelis and Palestinians. The Samaritans may soon go extinct, a tragedy that would end their 3500 year history-but not if the Samaritans can help it! Five years of fieldwork have resulted in this intimate and compelling insider's view of the Samaritan struggle against the odds, of their heart wrenching choices, their joys and sorrows. This documentary, a centerpiece of the YU Israelite Samaritans Project, dives deep into the cultural world of the Samaritans as they strive to maintain their 3500 year old tradition. It was filmed in Holon, Nablus, Ukraine and at Yeshiva University in New York.

From antiquity to the present, Samaritans and Jews have lived as close neighbors in the Land of Israel and in nearby diaspora communities. It is difficult to imagine Judaism without Samaritanism, or Samaritanism without Judaism—the two are intertwined in profound ways. This very closeness, however, has often been the source of intense friction, as reflected in various historical sources. The present contribution deals with the Samaritan view on the Samaritan-Jewish split, which differs radically from the Jewish
perspective.

In the presented paper author presents an extensive and multilayered explanation of what Masoretic Text (MT) is. Having located MT in the core of great majority of the Bible editions, the author firstly presents the MT as the only text used by organized Judaism from the first century CE onwards. Since it is a medieval text with roots in antiquity, but capable enough of reflecting a thousand year old ancient tradition, a relationship between the forerunners of the medieval MT and the medieval text is further explained. A particular attention is given to the work of the scribes, especially with the reference to the proto-MT. The presentation continues with a respective but condensed presentation of the nature of MT and finally ends with a hermeneutical comparison of MT with the other texts, like Septuagint (LXX), Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) and Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). ▶

"This highly innovative collection of essays effectively orients students of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament to the many facets of contemporary Pentateuch studies. One of the major benefits of the volume is that it truly offers several ‘new models’ for Pentateuch studies that are not hampered by tenuous and lengthy discussions of redaction criticism. Further, these new models are informative for as well as intelligible to non-specialized audiences. This volume is bound to make a valuable addition to the bookshelves of students, seminarians and scholars alike.”
—Andrew B. Perrin, Toronto Journal of Theology 24 (2008) 262–263

“This collection of 14 substantive essays aims to account for the reception of the Pentateuch as a uniquely authoritative document in the Persian and Hellenistic periods. The distinguished contributors to this erudite volume propose different models for how, when, why and where this took place. Readers will appreciate the introductory essay by the editors that surveys the complex and contested field explored, for the essayists present a bewildering array of theories. Most of the essays interact with the theory of a ‘Persian imperial authorization’ of the Torah, and this book represents the most sustained discussion of that theory since Persia and Torah (2001), edited by James W. Watts. . . . This is a useful volume for anyone who wants to come up to speed with what is happening in Pentateuchal studies. It shows the field is in flux, indeed it appears to be in crisis, with no theory able to secure a scholarly consensus.”
—Gregory Goswell, Australian Biblical Review

“This informative and well-written volume provides an excellent entry-point for scholars, advanced undergraduates and graduate students to explore the fast-changing world of Pentateuchal theory and the relationship of the Torah to its literary and cultural environment.”
—Daniel M. O’Hare, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions 8 (2008): 253–57

“These excellent essays were first presented as papers or oral presentations at the 2006 international meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, and they were edited (very nicely) for publication in this volume in ways to render them more accessible to a wider audience of biblical scholars.

“Even though the central theme is the emergence of an authoritative Pentateuch, the authors touch on a number of topics that can be valuable for the scholarly interests of readers in the wider field of biblical studies and Judaica.”
—Robert Gnuse, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 70 (2008): 867–69

“The contributors to this volume seek models helping to understand the Pentateuch’s rise to prominence as a foundational collection of Scriptures in early Judaism and Samaritanism. Most of them focus on the growing acceptance of the Pentateuch in the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods. In their endeavour Frei’s theory of a Persian imperial authorization often serves as a starting point. In their instructive introduction, the editors sketch the larger issues that lie at the background of the questions dealt with in the volume. . . . The volume is very well edited. Indexes enhance the usefulness of the collection.”
—J. Lust, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 84:1 (2008)

“The articles collected in this volume originated in four panels on biblical and ancient Near Eastern law convened during the 2006 International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Edinburgh. The panels investigated ‘the promulgation and acceptance of the Pentateuch as a prestigious writing in the late Persian and early Hellenistic periods’ (p. 1). However, the editors correctly note that the collection of articles goes well beyond conventional conference proceedings. All the articles were extensively revised, often repeatedly, in a thorough peer review process involving referees and the editors. While the editors offer thanks and apologies for the work they imposed on the authors, they need make no apologies to the readers of the final volume. The extensive review process shows in the consistently high quality of the work included.”
—David A. Bosworth, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 9 (2009)

“There are many more very fine essays in this volume, and anyone interested in pentateuchal and/or Achaemenid studies would greatly benefit from every one of them.”
—Charles Halton, Bulletin of Biblical Research 19:2 (2009)

“Never [before, has there been] so many interesting details and far reaching aspects of the canonization of the Pentateuch presented in one book. I feel obliged to thank the editors for having organized this conference and done such an excellent editorial work. As they tell (p. 18) all essays were ‘doubly refereed’ and ‘extensively revised’ in order to provide the volume with a higher degree of consistence and legibility than normal. And I can confirm that the editors succeeded in their demanding task in most case.

“Thus, this significant volume makes good progress in clarifying the circumstances, under which the Torah has been canonized. It will be appreciated by all scholars, who are engaged in the recent Pentateuchal discussion, to which it has made a remarkable contribution.”
—Rainer Albertz, Journal for the Study of Judaism, 40:3 (2009): 420–24

“This volume significantly advances our understanding of the processes leading to the establishment of the Torah in its present forms as the foundation document of the Jewish and Samaritan communities. . . . The essays . . . taken as a whole . . . form a contribution which no future work on the subject will be able to ignore.”
—W. J. Houston, Vetus Testamentum 59 (2009)

“This volume of essays is a “must have” for any researcher, teacher, graduate student, or high-level undergraduate student interested in the promulgation and acceptance of the Pentateuch/Torah as authoritative sacred writings for the Jewish and Samarian communities during the late Persian and early Hellenistic Periods. While these 14 essays started out as papers given at an international meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature held in Edinburgh (July 2006)m collectively, they read as much more than a standard proceedings volume. Each essay provides an overview of past research into an aspect of the development of Torah during the post-exilic period, a critique of weaknesses in those approaches, and a proposal for (a) new way(s) of understanding how the first five books became the foundational text not only for the Jewish communities in Yehud/Judea and the diaspora but also for (b) the Samarian (later Samaritan) community.

“The editors are to be congratulated for focusing on ‘cutting edge’ issues, helping to transpose these conference papers into tightly-organized but accessible essays (with all lengthy German and French quotations translated into English), and bringing these provocative pieces of first-class scholarship to a wider audience speedily.”
—Gordon J. Hamilton, Studies in Religion, 2008

“The Torah as the Pentateuch stimulates thinking, keeps the debate alive, and is a good resource for pentateuchal studies.”
—Patrick Mazani, Andrews University Seminary Studies 46 (2008): 282–86

“. . . valuable collection of essays.”
—Graham I. Davies, SOTS Book List 2009 =JSOT 33 (2009): 157–58

“Der vorliegende Aufsatzband ist das Ergebnis einer Tagung der Arbeitsgruppe ‘Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law’ der Internationalen Konferenz des Society of Biblical Literature in Edinburgh, 2006, und gibt einen hervorragenden Einblick in die aktuelle Diskussionslage in der Pentateuch-Forschung.”
—Tobias H. Duncker and Reinhard Achenbach, Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte 14 (2008): 499–506

“Le volume reflète le travail d’un atelier organisé lors de la rencontre internationale de la Society of Biblical Literature à Édimbourg en 2006. Ces rencontres forment un lieu important d’échanges entre l’Europe et l’Amérique du Nord en matière d’exégèse biblique. En ce qui concerne la problématique liée à la promulgation de la Torah en tant que loi religieuse, le volume prouve surtout que l’on est encore très loin d’un quelconque consensus.”
—Jan Joosten, Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses 88 (2008): 233–35

“Insgesamt ergibt sich mit dem Sammelband ein repräsentativer Überblick über die derzeitige Forschung zum Themenbereich um Abschulss und Durchsetzung des Pentateuchs. Der Sammelband bietet sich dabei auch für einen schnellen Neueinstieg in diesen wichtigen Forschungsbereich an und ist trotz der besonderen Ausrichtung auf den englischsprachigen Markt auch für den deutschsprachigen Wissenschaftsraum sehr zu empfehllen.”
—Raik Heckl, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 105 (2010): 197–203""

An edition, translation and study of a short West Syrian text anachronistically attributed to Cyril of Alexandria. The text claims that Islam is a syncretistic amalgamation of a range of different Jewish, Samaritan, pagan, and (orthodox and heretical) Christian beliefs and practices.

There are good reasons for doubting the standard model that insists Mandaean beliefs and formulae that parallel Christian and Islamic traditions are basically derivative. Mandaeism's focus on John the Baptizer is not the result of Islamic influence but reflects the religion's origins in ancient Palestine as an independent group that developed at about the same time as the Jewish Jesus sect. Similarly, the parallels between some Mandaean texts and the Johannine gospel are not the result of Mandaean " borrowing " ; each represents an independent trajectory based on John the Baptizer's preaching, modified according to each group's needs. Similarities between Islamic and Mandaean liturgies and prayer formulae are best explained as the result of Mandaean influence upon nascent Islam rather than the latter's influence upon Mandaeism. Similarities between Mandaean and Jewish liturgies result from preservation of traditions (dynamically modified over time) from the era before Mandaeans parted ways from their Jewish or at least Jewish-related matrix.

Updated 3 May 2023.

Peter Winch, D.Z. Phillips and Lars Hertzberg have all understood Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan as dealing with the proper attitude of any person to his or her fellow human beings.  Reading the parable against the background of Talmudic literature, I argue that the parable actually addresses ethical issues involving the notion of membership in a community, and the duties which community members owe to each other.

Discusses the famous drachm kept in the British Museum and known as “The First Jewish Coin”. It is considered by some scholars to be a unique and unparalleled representation of the God of Israel (Yahweh).
The paper argues that this coin was minted in Samaria and could represent the image of a Samarian Yahweh

In the year 756/1355 Abū l-Fatḥ ibn Abī l-Ḥasan al-Sāmirī al-Danafī wrote the Samaritan chronicle Kitāb al-Tārīkh, which concludes with a cycle of legends narrating the rise of Islam. Their narrative focuses on the story of the prophet Muḥammad’s encounter with three astrologers, representatives of three Abrahamic religions: a Samaritan, a Jew, and a Christian. They saw in the stars the end of the rule of Byzantium and the rise of the rule of Ishmael, i.e., Islam, and therefore came to Muḥammad in Medina to find out whether he was the man from the stock of Ishmael with whom the rule of Islam in the world had begun. When assured that Muḥammad was the king promised in the Scriptures, so the story goes, the Jew and the Christian converted to Islam, whilst the Samaritan stayed steadfast in his religion and negotiated with Muḥammad full protection for the Samaritans under Islam.
Abū l-Fatḥ’s narrative presents a unique Samaritan version of a polemical story that was widespread among the Christians and Jews in the Middle Ages. The paper compares the Samaritan version of the story with the Christian and Jewish ones, and sets the story of Muḥammad’s pact with the Samaritans into the context of the mid-14th century Mamlūk society and the Samaritans’ position in it. The thesis of the paper is that the Samaritan version responds to the increasing social and religious pressure of Islamic society directed towards the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam and the expropriation of their houses of worship.