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How does Samaritanism differ from Judaism in doctrine?

I've been trying to figure this out but everything I read is mostly about history and there is little or no reference to doctrine. Does anybody here know?

Update:

Actually, I did read the Wikipedia thing. It refers to a different version of the Torah but I couldn't find anything about how it is different from the other Torah.

Update 2:

This Wiki article was more useful, should have looked at that one before posting this question.

Apparently, there aren't any significant doctrinal differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan_Torah

Update 3:

There is a separate Wiki article about the Samaritan Torah, I failed to notice that before posting this question. Apparently, there are no significant doctrinal differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan_Torah

Update 4:

Sorry about posting almost the same comment twice, I didn't think it posted the first time.

So far, Kaganate has best answer.

Update 5:

Sorry about posting almost the same comment twice, I didn't think it posted the first time.

So far, Kaganate has best answer.

7 Answers

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  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The bit I know --

    The Samaritan Torah differs in insignificant grammar/ vocab changes.

    From what I read, these are modernising simplifications to the language - no meanigful change.

    The Samaritans only hold to the Torah (five books) but not the rest of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible).

    While the Jews hold the final center of worship to be Jerusalem,

    the Samaritan worship center is on mount Gerizim.

    Therefore, while the Jews are currently unable to sacrifice, the Samaritans today do offer sacrifices.

    It is my understanding that the Samaritans did not take converts until maybe last year and follow patrilineal descent.

    If the writers of the Babylonian Talmud were correct, during the Roman period the Samaritans worshiped a bird (or perhaps used a bird as a focal image of God).

  • 8 years ago

    The Samaritans were a mixture of many cultures, so they obviously did not adhere to Judaism but a mix of various beliefs

    A Mixed Race

    The Samaritans were a racially mixed society and the Jews considered their religion a pagan system (Ezra 4:2). Their blood would become more and more mixed with Jewish blood by the intermarriage with surrounding Israelites, who saw many similarities and familiar worship that had been in former times. By the time of Christ, the Samaritans were severely despised by the Jews and to be called a "Samaritan" was to be numbered with the tax collectors and sinners.

  • 8 years ago

    The Samaritans were not a religion, but a people who were not taken into captivity with the Jews. Samaritans opposed the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. They were despised by the Jews.

  • Bob L
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    The most you will find in the Bible about it is in John 4, with the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Of primary disagreement was the place to worship, but also the idols which were also worshiped in Samaria. The Jews would generally not defile themselves by traveling through Samaria in order to get north the Galilee region. Read the Book of Judges, particularly its later chapters to learn what was going on in the region of Samaria/Mt. Ephraim.

  • 8 years ago

    Samaritans don 't acknowledge the Jerusalem Temple.

  • 8 years ago

    What's Samritanism. Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan and thus implied that Samaria (if it existed) was a region that the then Jews shunned.

  • 8 years ago
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