The history of the Samaritans
The Samaritans claim to be descendants of the sons of Joseph, namely Ephraim and Manasseh. In their faith, Mount Gerizim and the city of Shechem hold significant importance as sacred places. After the conquest of the land of Israel, Joshua resided in Shechem, and the tabernacle was initially placed on Mount Gerizim. Historically, these locations in the Bible predate those of Jerusalem. According to the Samaritans, Eli erred by moving the tabernacle and the Ark to Shiloh, and Solomon wrongly built the temple in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the expansion of the Torah with the Writings and the Prophets is seen as a deviation.
To understand this history, we must go back to the period following Solomon's death. His son Rehoboam refused to reduce the heavy taxation imposed by his father, leading to the secession of the ten northern tribes under Jeroboam. Jeroboam established sanctuaries in Bethel and Dan, each containing a golden calf.
Over two centuries later, the northern kingdom of the ten tribes was conquered by the Assyrians, and in 722 BCE, the capital, Samaria, fell. According to Sargon's annals, 27,290 people were taken into exile. The total population of the northern kingdom is estimated to have been between 500,000 and 700,000, meaning a significant portion of the inhabitants remained. Conversely, people from other parts of Assyria were relocated to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). The text indicates that these newcomers worshipped their own gods. Although they were taught how to worship Yahweh, they likely continued venerating their own deities, resulting in a syncretistic religion (2 Kings 17:25–33).
The rivalry between the Samaritans and the Judeans is illustrated in 2 Chronicles 28:7–15. The Samaritans took 200,000 captives from Judah to Samaria. The prophet Oded warned against incurring guilt, prompting the captives to be returned and escorted back to Jericho. (This story bears a striking resemblance to the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37.)
The Assyrian Empire was succeeded by the Babylonian Empire, which conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and exiled part of its population. In 587 BCE, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. When the Persians came to power, some exiles returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, beginning around 535 BCE. The Samaritans offered to assist in the reconstruction, but Ezra refused, viewing them as adversaries (Ezra 4:1–3).
The next major rift between the Jews and the Samaritans occurred with the construction of a temple on Mount Gerizim in 332 BCE, authorized by Alexander the Great during his conquests. After the governor appointed by Alexander was murdered by the Samaritans, Alexander destroyed the city of Samaria, relocating its capital to Shechem.
In 168 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, one of Alexander's successors, came to power. He exerted significant pressure on the Jews, halting temple services in Jerusalem and placing a statue of Zeus in the temple. After three and a half years, the temple was recaptured by the Jewish Maccabean movement. (This event plays a prominent role in the prophecies of Daniel.) During this period, the Samaritans wrote to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, declaring that they were not Jews and requesting that the temple on Mount Gerizim be renamed the Temple of Zeus Hellenios. This maneuver spared them from persecution, but it widened the rift with the Jews.
In 128 BCE, John Hyrcanus, a Maccabean leader, sought to end the rivalry by destroying the temple on Mount Gerizim. By 107 BCE, Samaria and Shechem were also destroyed, cementing the division.
The Samaritans then placed their hope in the Romans and the Herodian dynasty. Shortly after 70 CE, Flavius Vespasian rebuilt Shechem, renaming it Flavia Neapolis (modern-day Nablus).
The Samaritans in the New Testament
In the New Testament era, the hostility between Jews and Samaritans is clearly evident. When Jesus is insulted, He is called a demon-possessed Samaritan (John 8:48). Moreover, when Jesus sends out the disciples, He explicitly instructs them not to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans (Matt. 10:5-6). This indicates that the Samaritans were considered a distinct group, separate from both Jews and Gentiles. This is further supported by Jesus referring to a Samaritan as a foreigner (Luke 17:18). Additionally, Jesus states that salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22), implying that He regarded Samaritan teachings as a deviation.
The Samaritans recognized only the five books of Moses as Scripture, similar to the Sadducees. Like the Sadducees, they denied the resurrection of the dead. A significant theological disagreement with all Jewish sects remained the question of where God should be worshiped: on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem.
Rabbinic tradition also reflects the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. However, according to Rabbinic views, the land, roads, dwellings, and water of Samaria were considered clean, in contrast to those of the Gentiles. Therefore, when Jesus asks the Samaritan woman to draw water for Him, He is not violating any Rabbinic rule (contrary to the claims of many commentaries).
And He had to go through Samaria...
IIn the history of the Samaritan woman we read:
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard He was making and baptizing more disciples than John—though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did—He left Judea and went back to Galilee. To do so, He had to pass through Samaria (John 4:1-3).
In the vast majority of commentaries, it is stated that the usual route from Judea to Galilee avoided passing through Samaria. To bypass the region, one would cross the Jordan River, travel north along its eastern side, and then cross back over the Jordan—a detour of approximately 100 kilometers. Some interpreters suggest there was also a route along the Mediterranean coast, west of Samaria. But is this accurate?
Several texts in the New Testament describe people traveling through Israel, either from north to south or vice versa. In two journeys from Galilee to Judea, we read that Jesus and His disciples traveled directly through Samaria (Luke 9:52-56 and Luke 17:11-19). Others also passed through the region: Philip (Acts 8:5), Peter and John (Acts 8:14-15), and Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:3). Clearly, it was not an issue for Jews to travel directly through Samaria. In fact, there is no recorded instance of anyone taking the detour around Samaria.
The most prominent non-biblical historian of the first century, Flavius Josephus, also mentions:
For rapid travel, it was essential to take the route that allowed Jerusalem to be reached from Galilee in three days (Life of Josephus 269).
And even more clear:
The Galileans were accustomed to traveling through Samaritan territory to the holy city during religious festivals (Antiquities of the Jews, 20.118).
In the continuation of the last citation, Josephus discusses armed confrontations between the Samaritans and the Jews in the year 52 CE. His comment about the route from Galilee to Jerusalem must therefore certainly apply to the period when Jesus was on earth.
The conclusion is clear: the route straight through Samaria was not avoided at all.
I have noticed that no source is cited in the commentaries for the claim that people usually bypassed the region of Samaria, and upon further investigation, the claim proves to be entirely unfounded. This is an example of a phenomenon often seen in biblical interpretation: everyone copies from one another without seeking out the original sources. Theologians should know better.