Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-13
collation. ss has bean possible with
Samaritan texts which have fallen into
AZ. hands of scholars.

Besides the mobs suoions io" suoio
ara three other books known to be in
the nossession Of the Samaritans. These
.ra Inc Samaritan Book Of Joshua, the
Samaritan Chronicles, and the so-called
:. Fire-tried Manuscript" The Sama-
ritan Book Of Joshua probably dates
from the thirteenth century. 1t was
published at Leyden about forty years
ego from an Arabic manuscript in Sa-
maritan character, and is thought to
have been compiled from an early Sa-
marian and three later Arabic chroni-
cles. II is invested with peculiar
interest from the fact that it
helps to supply remarkable lacuna
in the Biblical record, which does not
appear to have received the attention it
deserves from Biblical students. 1t is,
in fact, evident that large portion OF
the present book Of Joshua is missing.
That book purports to be an account OF
the conquest of Canaan and its allot-
ment among the twelve tribes. Under
these circumstances it is most remarka-
BILE that we have no account of the con-
quest of Samaria, though the campaigns
in the South, including the siege and
taking of seven cities, and the invasion
of Galilee, and the defeat Of the league
of six Kings of northern Palestine,
are fully described. Then we
have no list of royal Samaritan
cities, though all Of them in the other
parts of the country are carefully
enumerated. We have no description
of the boundaries of the two tribes to
which Samaria was allotted, nor any
list of the cities awarded to them. Some
of the Leyitical towns mentioned y
Chronicles as belonging to Samaria are
not to be found in Joshua. 1t will be
found also that, taken as a whole, there
are only about forty Samaritan places
noted out of some 400 or 500 places
in western Palestine.
The Jewish hatred Of the Samaritans
rose in the early Christian period to so
great pitch that the Mishnic doctors
avoided even mentioning the name of
Samaria. Thus in the Talmud alto
gether only some half dozen Samaritan
towns are noticed. In describing Pal
estine the Mishna divides it into Judea,
Galilee, and Peras, leaving out all
mention of Samaria. It's just possible
that long before this an omission may
have been purposely made by the early
transcribers Of the Biblical book OF
Joshua in regard to Samaris. AT all
events, the meagre record which it con-
tains is richly supplemented by the
Samaritan book of Joshua, which
brings down the history of Israel from
the date Of the conquest to the time OF
Samuel, whose predecessor, Eli, was,
from a Samaritan point Of view, the
earliest schismatic, and the founder OF
new and herctical temple at Shiloh in
opposition to that built by Joshua on
Mount Gerizim. The divine glory
rested on Gerizim for two hundred and
sixty years, or during the reign of nine
successors Of Joshua, the schiSm be-
tween the children Of Judah and the
orthodox, as the Samaritans call them
selves, dating from the time of Sin,
after the death Of Samson.
The book opens much in accordance
with the biblical narrative, but no less
than four chapters are devoted to the
history Of BALKAN and his death, being
an enlargement Of one biblical verse
| The conquest Of Schechem by JoShuo
contains an account Of the miraculous
discontinue of the enemy, and of let
ter sent by him announcing it to Flea
Ear the priest, fastened to the wings o.
a dove. 1t contains also the account
of a new league against the children
of Israel under king called
Saubac, in conjunction with the
Kings of FIVE other towns, which can
all now be identified. A thrilling mar
rative Of the battle which takes place
between Joshua and these Kings at f
Seliun, on the ancient Megiddo (Arma
eeddon), is also given. With this cpl
Sode the history of the war ends. TIT
chief value Of the book lies, however
in the light it throws upon the ancient
geography of Samaria. Out of a tota
of thirty-One places mentioned in 1t
| thirteen are within the confines Of Sa
maria. and most of these are not to bC
found in the Bible.
The Samaritan chronicle goes back
to the beginning, ard gives the astro
nomical reckoning from Adam. Some
of its typographical details are of much
value. Thus it contains a list Of
twenty-five towns where the High
Priest who succeeded Tobiah resided
all being apparently in Samaria as fai
as they can be identified. 1t is known
that in the second and third centhrie!
the Samaritans were in flourishing
condition, and had colonies in Egypt
and even synagogue in Rome. The
chronicle gives their possessions ii
Palestine as allotted by the High
Priest Baba the Great. about 100 year:
after the destruction of Jerusalem
This description is interesting, as il
seems to include all Palestine, with
the exception Of Judea proper, to the
mountains of which the Jews are by
this description confined.
At later period the chronicle give!
list of those towns which we're in
habited by the Samaritans after tn.
lIegira. This is a period when very
little is known Of this nation. The
places mentioned extend nearly owe
the whole ofPalestine outside of Judea
and colonies are also mentioned il
Damascus, Cairo, and Baalbek. There
is a ruin about five miles from llalfl
called keir Samir, or the town of III,
Samaritans, which | occasionally visi
to grub for inscriptions, which was ont
Of their colonies. Those at Gerar auc
GAIA lasted till the present century
but none are to be found now OUTSIDE
Of Nablous. 1t is only to be expecte'
that the chronicle should centre all tn
holy places of the Samaritans a
Shechem or Nablous.
The fifth article Of the Samaritan
creed was the assertion that Gerizin
was the chosen abode Of God upol
earth Here dam and Seth raised al