Jews and Samaritans: The Origins and History of Their Early Relations

Already the title (evidently not the author's, but the publisher's choice, and a poor one) shows the dilemma: The "Samaritans" call themselves "Samarians" (which should be heeded) and "Jews" by some definitions include the Samarians, and the concept is at any rate anachronistic to most of the period covered in the study. The author offers a helpful introduction of the nomenclature--and then fails to stick to his own definitions. He rather uncritically holds on to the historicity of scripture at least in part, to questionable sources (Josephus, first of all), and to traditional but misleading terminology and concepts. If he could have untethered himself fully from these, he would have produced an outstanding study. For whenever his argument is untethered and unbiased, it is sound, plausible and interesting. He insists that the Pentateuch in its substance dates to Persian times, which analyses of major Hellenistic influences have rendered implausible; he insists on the notion that the LXX is a translation into Greek from Hebrew sources, and does not entertain the--at least as plausible--possibility that it could be the other way around. For all his respect for the Samarians, he repeatedly defaults back to the Yehudians/Judeans/Jews comprising the base case, the Samarians the variant. This study does not sufficiently break with tradition to constitute more than only a first step towards an unbiased, unprejudiced rewriting of the history of the two major Yahwistic communities.

Knoppers was (sadly died since I worked with him in 2016) a premier Samaritanologist and scholar of the Books of Chronicles. This summary presentation of the last two generations' revolutionary discoveries in texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeology, and even genetics that all overturn ungodly anti-Samaritan bigotry (still regnant in biblical-theological fields) should be read by anyone who cares what the Bible is saying.Jesus viewed the Samaritans as non-Jewish Israelites, not as Gentiles (Israel is made up of both Jewish descendants of the southern kingdom of Israel along with Samaritan descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel).Knoppers proves this, and that fact changes interpretation of Scripture in ways that will correct theology and praxis to become more in line with the Spirit of God.

Excellent summary of contemporary research on the Samaritans along with Knoppers own original scholarship on the subject.