Editing Samaritans (section)

==== Foreign rule ====

The [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonian Empire]] conquered the [[Levant]] in the 330s BCE, resulting in both Samaria and Judea coming under Greek rule as the province of [[Coele-Syria]]. Samaria was by-and-large devastated by the Macedonian conquest and subsequent colonization efforts, though its southern lands were spared the broader consequences of the invasion and continued to thrive. Matters were further complicated in 331 BCE when the Samaritans rose up in rebellion and murdered the Macedonian-appointed prefect Andromachus, resulting in a brutal reprisal by the army.{{sfn|Knoppers|2013|p=169}} Following the death of [[Alexander the Great]], the area became part of the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]], which, in one of [[Syrian Wars|several wars]], was eventually conquered by the neighboring [[Seleucid Empire]].

Though the temple on Mount Gerizim had existed since the 5th century BCE, evidence shows that its sacred precinct experienced an extravagant expansion during the early [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic era]], indicating its status as the preeminent place of Samaritan worship had begun to crystallize. By the time of [[Antiochus III the Great]], the temple "town" had reached 30 [[dunam]]s in size.{{sfn|Knoppers|2013|p=123}} The presence of a flourishing cult centered around Gerizim is documented by the sudden resurgence of Yahwistic and Hebrew names in contemporary correspondence, suggesting that the Samaritan community had officially been established by the 2nd century BCE.{{sfn|Knoppers|2013|pp=125–133}} Overall, the Samaritans were generally more populous and wealthier than the Judeans in Palestine, until 164 BC.{{sfn|Knoppers|2013|p=2}}