The Keepers: An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Samaritans
Overview
The Keepers describes the Samaritans’ remarkable history and survival and the unique oppression and grace that have shaped their culture and religion. It’s a history whose antagonists have included Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and it has contributed to arguments between Roman Catholics and Protestants over the text of the Bible. The threads of the story disappear at times into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but ultimately succeed in affirming the unique Samaritan identity. Popularly associated with phrases like “The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel” and “The Good Samaritan,” many are surprised to learn that the Samaritans have a rich history and culture that includes a contemporary chapter. This history is illuminated by stories in the Hebrew Bible and documents from Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic sources.
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Key Features
- Examines the history and religion of the Samaritans
- Focuses on the Chamberlain-Warren Samaritan collection
- Discusses the oppression and grace that have shaped the Samaritans’ culture and religion
Contents
- Introduction
- Samaritan Origins
- The Persian and Hellenistic Periods
- The Roman Period
- The Byzantine Period
- Islamic Invasion to the Renaissance
- The Modern Period
- The Samaritan Pentateuch
- Samaritan Religion
- The Chamberlain-Warren Collection
Top Highlights
“Using these three proofs to mark the beginning of the religious sect, it is reasonable to identify the Hasmonean period (168–123 b.c.e.) as the stage at which the Samaritan sect clearly emerges on the historical horizon (described in chapter three under the heading ‘Hellenistic Period’).” (Page 10)
“The Samaritans claim they are the descendants of the northern tribes of Israel (particularly Ephraim and Manasseh) defeated by the Assyrians in 722 b.c.e. (The Jews are the descendants of the southern tribe of Judah.) The Samaritan community is a subculture with a history of well over two thousand years. It preserves vestiges of ancient Hebrew religion. Their practices are rooted in the priestly sacrifices that disappeared in Judaism with the destruction of the temple. The priesthood itself, they claim, is a survival of the priests of Zadok, the only legitimate priesthood since the time of David.7 The Zadokite genealogy is difficult to trace, and the Samaritan interpretation is historically possible.” (Page 6)
“The Samaritans believe themselves to represent the orthodox faith and Judaism to be deviant.” (Page 13)
“Shiloh from Shechem was a departure from an orthodoxy that only the Samaritans maintained.” (Pages 12–13)
Praise for the Print Edition
The Keepers is both a significant scholarly contribution to the subject and an important introduction, serving even the needs of a general readership with its clear style, elegant production, and incorporation of source material. The text is handled carefully and intelligently, and this book includes very useful information on subjects that are not easy to find, such as the transmission of the Samaritan Pentateuch to Europe, Samaritan inscriptions, and the importance of the Samaritans in New Testament studies.
—Alan D. Crown (1932–2010), professor of Semitic studies, University of Sydney
With their book The Keepers, Anderson and Giles have enriched the literature on the Samaritans with an admirable contribution. Many in our culture are familiar with the New Testament story of the Good Samaritan, but few know that there are still Samaritans living in Israel and Palestine, who have an unbroken history from antiquity to our days. Even though the last few decades have seen a flowering of Samaritan studies, many publications are addressed to scholars of biblical studies and religion. What Anderson and Giles have done is to write a concise and highly readable introduction—complete with maps, photographs, and a bibliography—that will appeal to a wider readership. But for all the elegance and liveliness with which the two authors present the subject, they have not sacrificed accuracy and care in dealing with disputed or unsolved issues.
—Reinhard Pummer, emeritus professor of religious studies, University of Ottawa
Product Details
- Title: The Keepers: An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Samaritans
- Authors: Robert T. Anderson and Terry Giles
- Publisher: Hendrickson
- Publication Date: 2001
- Pages: 192
About the Authors
Robert T. Anderson, author of Samaritan Manuscripts and Artifacts, is an emeritus professor of religious studies at Michigan State University.
Terry Giles teaches biblical studies as a professor of theology at Gannon University. He has also been active in higher education administration and served as a guest teaching faculty in Europe, Asia, and Africa.