Indeed. Wait until you all read (in Josephus) how the Samaritans claimed to be descendents of Ephraim and Manasseh (not all of the other 9 tribes, BTW) when things went well for the Jews and claimed to descend from the nations brought into the region by the conquering Assyrians when things went badly for the Jews.
Both statements were half-truths, as the pagans were indeed brought in but then intermarried with the remnant poor of Ephraim and Manasseh in that district. In addition, the syncretic religion originally held by the pagans was radically transformed by an apostate Aaronic priest whom Nehemiah drove out of the Jewish community - thus the origin of the sectarian Samaritan religion and its text.
You can see, I hope, why the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, and why Jesus’ dealings with the latter in parable and in reality were so radical in his day.
End of theological lesson for today… :)
Meanwhile… Chief Thom Thom, are you so morbid by nature, or do you have to work at it? :)) Alas, we are much alike: we both could find something funny in a famine…
Indeed. Wait until you all read (in Josephus) how the Samaritans claimed to be descendents of Ephraim and Manasseh (not all of the other 9 tribes, BTW) when things went well for the Jews and claimed to descend from the nations brought into the region by the conquering Assyrians when things went badly for the Jews.
Both statements were half-truths, as the pagans were indeed brought in but then intermarried with the remnant poor of Ephraim and Manasseh in that district. In addition, the syncretic religion originally held by the pagans was radically transformed by an apostate Aaronic priest whom Nehemiah drove out of the Jewish community - thus the origin of the sectarian Samaritan religion and its text.
You can see, I hope, why the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, and why Jesus’ dealings with the latter in parable and in reality were so radical in his day.
End of theological lesson for today… :)
Meanwhile… Chief Thom Thom, are you so morbid by nature, or do you have to work at it? :)) Alas, we are much alike: we both could find something funny in a famine…