Editing Samaria (section)

==Samaritans==
{{main|Samaritans}}
The [[Samaritans]] (Hebrew: Shomronim) are an [[ethnoreligious group]] named after and descended from ancient Semitic inhabitants of Samaria, since the [[Assyrian captivity of Israel|Assyrian exile]] of the Israelites, according to {{bibleverse|2 Kings|17}} and first-century historian [[Josephus]].<ref>Josephus, ''Jewish Antiquities'' 9.277–91</ref> Religiously, the Samaritans are adherents of [[Samaritanism]], an [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic religion]] closely related to [[Judaism]]. Based on the [[Samaritan Pentateuch|Samaritan Torah]], Samaritans claim their worship is the true religion of the ancient Israelites prior to the [[Babylonian captivity|Babylonian exile]], preserved by those who remained behind. Their temple was built at [[Mount Gerizim]] in the middle of the 5th century BCE, and was destroyed under the [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean]] king [[John Hyrcanus]] of [[Judea]] in 110 BCE, although their descendants still worship among its ruins. The antagonism between Samaritans and Jews is important in understanding the Bible's [[New Testament]] stories of the "[[Samaritan woman at the well]]" and "[[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]". The modern Samaritans, however, see themselves as co-equals in inheritance to the Israelite lineage through Torah, as do the Jews, and are not antagonistic to Jews in modern times.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/history/keepers-israelite-samaritan-identity/ |title=Keepers: Israelite Samaritan Identity Since Joshua bin Nun |website=Israelite Samaritan Information Institute |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=11 February 2017 |archive-date=24 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124075930/https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/history/keepers-israelite-samaritan-identity/ |url-status=live }}</ref>