This lecture explores relationships between Samaritans and Jews from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE through the rise of Islam through recent archaeological discoveries, Rabbinic, Samaritan and Christian literary sources. My organizing lens will be a series of rabbinic sources, mainly of the third and fourth centuries, that allow us to view the complexities of the common Israelite religion shared by Samaritans and Jews, including areas of controversy separating Jews and Samaritans. The impact of imperial rule, especially under the Christian emperors, sets an important frame for this discussion of the two ancient peoples of Israel, their unique intertwined relationship in Roman Palestina and across the eastern Mediterranean basin.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Stefan Beyerle (Greifswald)