For most people who have studied scripture superficially, Samaritans are people from the parable of Jesus. Kind, sympathetic people, judging by the plot of the short story described in the Bible.
Perhaps the majority believes that this people only remained in parables. But no. Samaritans exist in modern times - they live among us, and in their own isolated world. But what they are, where they live, what values they preach, for the bulk remains a mystery.
Controversial story
From time immemorial, those who are called legalists and scribes of Israel, have promoted the version (and considered it the only correct one) about the Assyrian origin of the Samaritans. Say, in the 700s BC, when King Sargon defeated the then Israeli capital Samaria, he deported the indigenous population - the sons of Israel to the tenth tribe - into the depths of their lands, and instead populated the city and outskirts with pagan tribes, the descendants of which are modern Samaritans.
Samaritans fundamentally disagree with this interpretation of history, which now sounds from the lips of rabbis. This, they say, is a complete distortion of historical facts with which they have been arguing for many centuries.
The Samaritans have always considered themselves real Jews, and the Shomrim etymology has been deciphered and continues to be deciphered as a “keeper” and insist that it is they, a small but very proud people, who are the guardians of the true Jewish traditions and the true, original, original Torah.
Samaritans and Jews - one people?
This question always provoked some disagreement between the Samaritans and the Jews. The former considered and continue to consider themselves true Jews, while the latter cannot accept this point of view in any way.
As always, faith has become a stumbling block . Not even faith, as such, but some differences in the observance of religious rituals. If the Samaritans are supporters of the true Jewish heritage, that is, they reject biblical teaching, consider Moses the only prophet, and Mount Grisim as the holy place, even those of the Jews who are considered orthodox are not so categorical in religion.
Throughout their history, the Samaritans live in a fairly isolated community, believing that they are true Jews, but the rest of the Jews do not recognize them. These peoples (or people?) Share neither more nor less - six thousand differences in the Torah - Samaritan and canonized. And so it was, as far as they remember themselves.
Religion does not interfere with kindness
Since childhood, almost any Christian has been familiar with the parable of the Samaritan, who, despite his hostility, helped an Israelite in distress.
It is significant that it came from the mouth of Jesus, the Messiah, recognized by the whole Christian world and the Israelites, too, but unrecognized by the Samaritans. Why did Jesus make the Samaritan a positive hero in history? Is it only the desire to reconcile the eternal religious duelists - the Samaritans and the Jews? Is it only for edification to everyone else who should love the enemy, and nothing else?
Or maybe it was the simplest illustration to the simplest truth, which most of us, who are always fighting with someone or something, can not comprehend in any way: belonging to any of the religions does not interfere with human actions.
Each of us at heart is a good Samaritan. It is not religion that matters, but it is the soul, if you give it such an opportunity.
Where do the Samaritans live and whom do they marry?
Now the Samaritans are very few - about 1,500 people, but at the beginning of the last century the number of these people turned out to be so small (only a few dozen) that they had to urgently take measures and slightly open their very closed community to foreigners. Rather, a stranger.
The first Samaritan wife "from outside" was a Siberian named Maria. Now Samaritan guys have expanded the geography of their search for spouses and are actively exploring the vastness of the CIS. Two Ukrainians, two Russians and four Azerbaijanis have already become Samaritan wives.
But since the Samaritans are, first of all, the observance of traditions, the first requirement for girls is to undergo a giyur (rite of conversion). Only then can one marry a Samaritan.
Despite all the measures taken, the people still remain small in number, it is listed by UNESCO in a special Red Book of ethnic groups that are threatened with extinction.
Modern Samaritans live in one of the prestigious quarters of the city of Holon, and several families have remained to live in the village of Kiryat Luz, in the immediate vicinity of their sacred Mountain of Blessings.