Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Zion: A study in the early history of the Samaritans and Jews

Abstract

This article explores how a new and very important development in the study of ancient Samaria sheds light on the import of two Judean texts written during the late Achaemenid or early Hellenistic era. The study begins with a discussion of the recent excavation of a large temple complex on Mt. Gerizim largely dating to the Hellenistic era, but with some material evidence stretching back to the Persian era. This remarkable discovery helps to answer some old questions, but it also raises new questions about Samarian-Judean relations during the Second Commonwealth. The selected case studies stem from the book of Chronicles and deal with Judah's relations with northern Israel. One involves King Abijah's address to "Jeroboam and all Israel" at Mt. Zemaraim during the early divided monarchy (2 Chr.13:4-12), while the other involves King Hezekiah's Passover invitation sent to all quarters of Israel, including the estranged northern tribes (2 Chr. 30:6-9). The study clarifies the context within which postmonarchic Judean writers worked (including their views of and aspirations for their own communities) by re-examining the larger geo-political and religious circumstances in which they lived.