Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-04
THE SAMARITANS.
An Ancient Sect With a Small
Membership.
Their City Once JerusaIem's Rival
Now in Decay.
They Trace With Pride Their Origin
to Jacob.

history from the remotest times. It's
origin is given in the XVI. chapter OF
First Kings, which says. In the thirty
and first year of Asa King of Judea.
began Omri to reign over Israel Ana
ne bought the hill Samaria of Shemer'
FOR two talents of silver. and built on
the hill and called the name OF the city
which he built after the name OF the
owner of the hill. Samaria.' 1t became
the rival of Jerusalem, and was the
capital of the kingdom of Israel.
From here the captives were carried
away into Assyria by the rivers OF
waters. Later it was a Roman prov
1nee. and one of the most profitable in
its revenues to Herod. a rich grain
growing country. and the scene OF
much military activity. political con-
spiiacy and rebellion, religious
apostacy. official corruption, crime and
social dep,avity.
After the return of the Jews from
the Babylonian captivity. the Samari
tons professed TO worship Jehovah and
claimed the rights ana glory. that be-
loEged to the people of God, but ulti-
mately Samaria swallowed all Israel,
and the word Samaritan became COM
descendants Of the other tribes from
those of Judea and Benjamin. Many
learned authorities repudiated their
claims to Israelitish ancestry. main
tanning that the entire Israelitish popu-
lation was carried away captive from
Samaria by the kings of Assyria, and
that few Of them ever returned. There
was always bitter animosity between
them and the Jews, but the inhabitants
Of the City of Samaria claim to be
descended from Joseph, the wisest and
the most famous Of the twelve sons Of
Jacob. and gloried in their ancestry.
: Art thou greater than our father
Jacob"" asked the woman of Jesus at
the we'll.
The Incidents of the sojourn of the
Saviour in Samaria indicate that the
ancient hatred was in full flame at His
time. THE Jews have no dealings
with the Samartans,' said the wo-
man. and James and John proposed to
command fire to come down from
heaven and consume them" because
the people denied ordinary hospitality
to the Lord and His disciples when
they were passing through me province
He always treated the Samaritans with
respect and cordiality. and although at
first when He sent His disciples out
upon their ministry, He admoniShed
them not to enter into any city of the
Samaritans. it was probably because
He feared they would not be well re
/ ceived. He changed His policy soon
after. He visited and preached to the
Samaritans. and the apostles received
many of them into Christian fellow
ship. But for its crime and corruption
the wrath OF God" was directed
against the ancient city. Therefore
viii | make Samarial as n heap of the
field. And l will pour down
the stones thereof into the valley"
That prophecy has been fulfilled
Everything is in ruins. The summit
and the slopes of the noble hill upon
which the city stood, the valleys that
surround it, the olive groves. the
wheat fields and vineyards are Uttered
with the rubbish of walls that have
crumbled. of Notifications that have
fallen and towers that have been over
thrown. Pompey restored the city at
great expense. Augustus Caesar gave
Great called it Scbaste and adorned il
with splendid public buildings, palaces,
temples. fountains, baths. theaters,
stadiums and colonnades. but all these
have disappeared and in the world s
progress the proud capital has
dwindled to an insignificant village of
shepherds. who do not fill half the mud
huts of which it is composed.
In the seventeenth century interest in
Samaria was revived by the discovery
OF manuscript copy Of the Penta-
touch. which was found to vary in some
important particulars from the text
generally accepted by the Jews. For a
time there was an animated con-
troversy among oriental scholars and
biblical critics. but there We're no i'm
portant results. The Samaritans claim
that it was written by grandson of
Aaron. but the keenest experts locate
it's origin shortly after the Christian
era began. The manuscript is a roll
about fifteen inches wide upon a silver
rod. and is kept in a costly silver case,
With a cover of green Venetian velvet
This is wrapped in an embroidered
scarf of crimson satin, which is re-
Win great reverence Nfittl tilt
manuscript is about to be shown to
visitors. The silver case is adorned
with high relief representing scenes
that occurred in the tabernacle in the
ancient days. Visitors are allowed to
see a Codex upon the payment of a fee
of , francs. but they may be sure that
il is not the genuine one. 4 copy is
kept in a duplicate case for that pur-
pose. rt
The Jews of Jerusalem reject this
manuscript with scoru and still deny
to the Samaritans the honor of re-
lationship. They condemn the rites
practiced by the Jews of Samaria as
pagan. md declare those who practice
them aliens in blood, in language and
in creed. and outcasts from the race of
Israel. The Samaritans, on the con-
trary, ridicule the Jerusalem Jews as
narrow bigots. The Samaritan Jews
have been reduced to very small
colony. and now number only about
40. They are the Oldest and the small
est sect in the world, are distinguished
by their noble physiogmony and dig