Samaritans are a people from the Red Book

For most people who have superficially studied the Holy Scripture, the Samaritans are The people of the parable of Jesus. Kind, sympathetic people, judging by the plot of the short story described in the Bible.

Perhaps most believe that this people have only remained, in parables. But no. Samaritans exist and in the present - they live and among us, and in their isolated world. But what they are, where they live, what values they preach, for the mainstream remains a mystery.

Controversial history

From time immemorial, those who are called lawgivers and scribes Israeli, promoted the version (and considered it the only correct one) about the Assyrian origin of the Samaritans. Say, in the 700's BC, when King Sargon defeated the then capital of Israel, Samaria, he deported the indigenous population - the sons of Israel to the tenth tribe - into the interior of their lands, and instead of them settled the city and the outskirts of the pagan tribes, whose descendants are Modern Samaritans.

With such interpretation of the history, which now sounds from the mouth of the rabbis, the Samaritans do not completely agree. This, they repeat, is a complete distortion of historical facts, with which they have been arguing for many centuries.

The Samaritans always considered themselves to be real Jews, and the "shomrim" etymology was deciphered and continues to be deciphered as a "guardian" and insist that they, the small but very proud people, are the guards of true Jewish traditions and a real, correct, primordial Torah.

Are the Samaritans and the Jews one people?

This question always caused some disagreement between the Samaritans and the Jews. The former considered and continue to consider themselves true Jews, while the latter can not accept this point of view.

As always, faith became the stumbling block . Not even faith, as such, but some discrepancies in the observance of religious rituals. If the Samaritans are Supporters of the true Jewish heritage, that is, they reject the biblical teaching, the only prophet is Moses, and the holy place is Mount Grisim, then even those Jews who are considered orthodox are not so categorical in religion.

Throughout its history, the Samaritans live a fairly separate community, believing that they are the true Jews, but the rest of the Jews do not recognize them at all. These peoples (or people?) Share neither much nor little - six thousand divisions in the Torah - the Samaritan and the canonized. And so it was, how much they remember themselves.

Religion does not interfere with kindness

Any Christian almost from childhood is familiar with the parable of the Samaritan, who, despite dislike, helped the Israelite in distress.

Signed that it sounded from the mouth of Jesus, the Messiah, recognized by the whole Christian world and the Israelis, too, but unrecognized by the Samaritans. Why did Jesus make the Samaritan a good hero of history? Is it only from the desire to reconcile the eternal religious duelists - the Samaritans and the Jews? Is it only for edification to all the others who should love the enemy, and nothing else?

Or maybe it was the simplest illustration to the simplest truth, which most of us, who are always at war with someone or something, can not comprehend in any way: belonging to any of the religions absolutely does not interfere with human actions.

Each of us in the depths of our hearts is a good Samaritan. It is not religion that matters, but it is the soul, if it is given such an opportunity.

Where do the Samaritans live and who marry?

Now the Samaritans are very small - about 1500 people, but at the beginning of the last century the number of this people was so small (only a few dozen) that they had to take urgent measures and open up their very closed community for foreigners. Rather, it's foreign.

The first Samaritan wife "from the outside" was a Siberian woman named Maria. Now the Samaritan boys have expanded the geography of finding spouses and are actively exploring the expanses of the CIS. Two Ukrainians, two Russians and four Azeris already became Samaritan's wives.

But since the Samaritans are, first of all, observance of traditions, the first requirement for girls is to pass the gyur (rite of conversion). Only then can you marry a Samaritan.

Despite all the measures taken, the people still remain small, it is brought by UNESCO to the special Red Book of ethnic groups, which are threatened with extinction.

Modern Samaritans live in one of the most prestigious quarters of the city of Holon, and several families have remained in Kiryat Luza, in the immediate vicinity of their sacred Mount of Blessings.