SamaritanAn ancient people group of mixed Jewish and Gentile ancestry that still exists today in Israel and surrounding areas. According to 2 Kings 17: 24-41 the people of Israel were removed by the king of the Assyrians to the towns of the Medes. The king then brought people from there to place in Samaria (the capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel). Because God sent lions among them to kill them, the king of the Assyrians sent one of the priests from Bethel to teach the new settlers about God's ordinances. The eventual result was that the new settlers worshipped both the God of the land and their own gods from the countries from which they came. They had a mixture of beliefs, ranging from belief in the books of Moses together with idolatry. They were often looked down upon by the Jews especially in the time of Christ. Today this term has come to mean, "a charitable and helpful person" because of Jesus' parable concerning the "Good Samaritan".
Leave a Reply