Samaritan Self-Consciousness in the First Half of the Second Century b.c.e. in Light of the Inscriptions from Mount Gerizim and Delos

A significant discovery sheds light on early Samaritan identity, revealing the earliest known use of 'Israelites' to describe Samaritans. Two inscriptions from Delos, combined with 395 Hebrew and Aramaic texts from Mount Gerizim, show a distinct Samaritan self-consciousness that diverged from Jewish positions by the first half of the second century BCE. The inscriptions, thanking benefactors for supporting 'Israelites who send their temple tax to Argarizein,' highlight a community deeply tied to Mount Gerizim as its place of worship. Unlike other inscriptions, the phrase 'in this place' underscores a unique regional attachment, with parallels found in Egypt, Sinai, Mesopotamia, and Turkey reinforcing broader cultural connections.

Kartveit, M. (2014). Samaritan Self-Consciousness in the First Half of the Second Century b.c.e. in Light of the Inscriptions from Mount Gerizim and Delos. Journal for the Study of Judaism, 45(4-5), 449–470. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700631-12340064