A new landmark exhibition at the Museum of the Bible that traces the lineage of the Samaritans of biblical days was opened on September 16 in Washington Dc.

The exhibition with unprecedented access to the life, culture and history of the Samaritans, a 2,000-year-old community was created in partnership with the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies under the direction of Dr Steven Fine, Dean Pinkhos Churgin Chair in Jewish History.

The Samaritans have lived in the Land of Israel, beside their sacred mountain, for millennia. They trace their lineage back to the Israelite tribe of Ephraim. They are mentioned in biblical and rabbinic texts, but few people know that this ancient people still exist as a micro-community today in the modern world.

“Our exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity to encounter the Samaritans as real people, from earliest biblical history to the present,” said Dr Fine. “Fascinating artefacts and exquisite media create a truly memorable experience of the Samaritans and their relations with Jews, Christians and Muslims over millennia.”

The exhibition will spotlight the various life and home experiences of the Samaritans, from Passover sacrifices to weddings. The rich religious life of the community is further illustrated with tales from the Samaritan elders and a special sukkah.

The exhibition assembled for the first time, the most important artefacts preserved in museums and libraries the world over to illuminate the history of the Samaritans. These include paintings, manuscripts, priceless books, photography, ritual objects and significant archaeological discoveries from Greece, Italy and Israel.

“The Samaritans are a unique people whose story also reflects universal questions about identity, belonging and tradition,” said Dr Jesse Abelman, curator of Hebraica and Judaica at the Museum of the Bible. “We couldn’t be more excited to share their story with the world.”

The exhibition also features a large stone inscription loaned by the Israeli Presidential residence and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Originally from the medieval Samaritan synagogue in Kefar Kalil, the Samaritan Hebrew inscription was published by Itzhak Ben-Zvi, the second president of Israel and a scholar of the history of the Samaritans.

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