Analysis: Jews vs. Samaritans - What's The Big Deal?

            In the fourth chapter of the gospel according to John, a discussion of conflict occurs between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Unique to John's account (Jn 4:5-42), this pericope known as the "woman at the well" records the historical contentions between ancient Judeans and the Samaritans. This account of ancient controversy is read by millions, yet most do not grasp the weight of this ancient feud. The main reason for the conflict is tersely stated in three verses:

"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews." (Jn 4:20-22^NASB) 

Clearly, the two groups disagreed on where the house of God should be located, let alone ceremonial ordinances. Judah argues that God placed His name in Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:36), and Samaria argues for Mount Gerizim in their version of the Torah. 
            While Judah has preserved their Torah and meticulously logged all of its variants and traditions (the Massorah), the Samaritans also preserved a version of the Torah that differed in as many as six-thousand places from the Jewish text. Apart from rejecting the divine inspiration of the prophets and writings in the Tanach, the Samaritan scriptures contain an extra commandment in their decalogue following the "do not covet ...." imperative, an eleventh commandment of sorts.
            Below is a comparison of the tenth commandment (Ex. 20:17ff) as found in the MT (= Massoretic Text according to the Westminster Leningrad Codex) and the SP (= Samaritan Pentateuch). The SP citation is taken from the famous critical edition Der Hebräische Pentateuch der Samaritaner by the German scholar A.F. von Gall. The major differences in the texts are highlighted:

The MT WLC	The SP A.F. von Gall
לא תחמד בית רעך לא־תחמד אשׁת רעך ועבדו ואמתו ושׁורו וחמרו וכל אשׁר לרעך׃	לא תחמד בית רעך ולא תחמד אשת רעך שדהו עבדו ואמתו שורו וחמורו וכל אשר לרעך׃ והיה כי יביאך יהוה אלהיך אל ארץ הכנעני אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה והקמת לך אבנים גדלות ושדת אתם בשיד וכתבת על האבנים את כל דברי התורה הזאת והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום בהר גריזים ובנית שם מזבח ליהוה אלהיך מזבח  לא תניף עליהם ברזל אבנים שלמות תבנה את מזבח יהוה אלהיך והעלית עליו עלות ליהוה אלהיך וזבחת שלמים ואכלת שם ושמחת לפני יהוה אלהיך ההר ההוא בעבר הירדן אחרי דרך מבוא השמש בארץ הכנעני הישב בערבה מול הגלגל אצל אלון מורא מול שכם׃
English:	English:
You shall not desire to have the house of your neighbor. You shall not desire to have the wife of your neighbor nor his laborer nor his woman servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any which is your neighbor's.	You shall not desire to have the house of your neighbor. You shall not desire to have the wife of your neighbor, his field, his laborer nor his woman servant, his ox, nor his donkey, nor any which is your neighbor's. It will be that when Adonai your God brings you to the land of the Canaanite which you are going there to dispossess it, then you will set up for you large stones and plaster them in lime-plaster and you will write upon the stones every word of this Torah. It will be that in your crossing the Jordan you will erect these stones which I am directing you today in the Mount Gerizim. And you will construct there an altar to Adonai your God, an altar of stones. You will not (even) wave over them any iron (tool). Of whole stones you will build the altar of Adonai your God, and you will offer upon it burnt offerings to Adonai your God. And you will offer peace offerings and eat there. And you will rejoice before Adonai your God at that mountain across the Jordan, west of the way of sunset, in the land where the Canaanite dwells, in Arbah in front   of Gilgal beside the oak(s) of Mor'e in front of Shechem.

            It is obvious that the SP has an exceptionally longer version of the tenth commandment, an addendum-command to create an altar to Adonai on Mount Gerizim and to offer and rejoice at that place. What is most audacious about this reading is what it implies: the Gerizim injunction is found within the decalogue pericope inferring it is of equal importance with all of the ten commandments. Also, it alleges to be one of the only oracles ever spoken directly into Israel's ears from Adonai Himself.  This is confirmed by what follows:

English:

The SP A.F. von Gall

And they said to Moses, behold Adonai our God has shown us His glory and His greatness and His voice we heard from the midst of the fire. This day we saw that God did speak with man and he lived. And now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we are to further hear the voice of Adonai our God more, then we will die. For who is there from all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire as us and lived? You yourself approach and hear all that Adonai our God will say and you yourself speak to us all that Adonai our God will say to you! We will hear and we will perform; but let God not speak with us lest we die!

ויאמרו אל משה הן הראנו יהוה אלהינו את כבודו ואת גדלו ואת קולו שמענו מתוך האש היום הזה ראינו כי ידבר אלהים את האדם וחי ועתה למה נמות כי תאכלנו האש הגדלה הזאת אם יספים אנחנו לשמע את קול יהוה אלהינו עוד ומתנו כי מי כל בשר אשר שמע קול אלהים חיים מדבר מתוך האש כמונו ויחי קרב אתה ושמע את כל אשר יאמר יהוה אלהינו ואתה תדבר אלינו את כל אשר ידבר יהוה אלהינו אליך ושמענו ועשינו ואל ידבר עמנו האלהים פן נמות׃

            According to the SP, Adonai uttered ten commandments inclusive of the Mount Gerizim injunction, and then Israel requested Moses to be an intercessor. But up to that point Adonai had been speaking directly to Israel Himself. This claim would've been a slap to the face of all ancient Jews that viewed their scriptures and forefathers as faithful witnesses of the Sinai theophany!

            So did Adonai really issue this commandment on Mount Sinai into the ears of Israel? The Mount Gerizim injunction seems to be a fabrication based upon deuteronomic passages, particularly Dt 27:2-8 and 11:30.

MT Dt 27:2-8 & 11:30 WLC	SP Ex 20:17ff A.F. von Gall
והיה ביום אשׁר תעברו את־הירדן אל־הארץ אשׁר־יהוה אלהיך נתן לך והקמת לך אבנים גדלות ושׂדת אתם בשׂיד׃ וכתבת עליהן את־כל־דברי התורה הזאת בעברך למען אשׁר תבא אל־הארץ אשׁר־יהוה אלהיך נתן לך ארץ זבת חלב ודבשׁ כאשׁר דבר יהוה אלהי־אבתיך לך׃ והיה בעברכם את־הירדן תקימו את־האבנים האלה אשׁר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום בהר עיבל ושׂדת אותם בשׂיד׃ ובנית שׁם מזבח ליהוה אלהיך מזבח אבנים לא־תניף עליהם ברזל׃ אבנים שׁלמות תבנה את־מזבח יהוה אלהיך והעלית עליו עולת ליהוה אלהיך׃ וזבחת שׁלמים ואכלת שׁם ושׂמחת לפני יהוה אלהיך׃ וכתבת על־האבנים את־כל־דברי התורה הזאת באר היטב׃	והיה כי יביאך יהוה אלהיך אל ארץ הכנעני אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה והקמת לך אבנים גדלות ושדת אתם בשיד וכתבת על האבנים את כל דברי התורה הזאת והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום בהר גריזים ובנית שם מזבח ליהוה אלהיך מזבח  לא תניף עליהם ברזל אבנים שלמות תבנה את מזבח יהוה אלהיך והעלית עליו עלות ליהוה אלהיך וזבחת שלמים ואכלת שם ושמחת לפני יהוה אלהיך ההר ההוא בעבר הירדן אחרי דרך מבוא השמש בארץ הכנעני הישב בערבה מול הגלגל אצל אלון מורא מול שכם׃
English:	English:
And it shall be on the day when you cross over Jordan to the land that Adonai your God is giving you then you will set up for you large stones and plaster them in lime-plaster and you will write upon them every word of this Torah in your crossing over so that you may enter the land which Adonai your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Adonai the God of your fathers has promised you. Therefore it will be that in your crossing over the Jordan, that you will erect these stones which I am directing you today in the mount Ebal, and you will plaster them in lime-plaster. And you will construct there an altar to Adonai your God, an altar of stones. You will not (even) wave over them any iron (tool). Of whole stones you will build the altar of Adonai your God, and you will offer upon it burnt offerings to Adonai your God. And you will offer peace offerings and eat there and rejoice before Adonai your God. And you will write upon the stones all the words of this Torah very clearly. (27:2-8) . . . across the Jordan, west towards sunset, in the land where the Canaanite dwells, in Arbah in front of Gilgal beside the oak(s) of Mor'e. (11:30)	It will be that when Adonai your God brings you to the land of the Canaanite which you are going there to dispossess it, then you will set up for you large stones and plaster them in lime-plaster and you will write upon the stones every word of this Torah. It will be that in your crossing the Jordan you will erect these stones which I am directing you today in the mount Gerizim. And you will construct there an altar to Adonai your God, an altar of stones. You will not (even) wave over them any iron (tool). Of whole stones you will build the altar of Adonai your God, and you will offer upon it burnt offerings to Adonai your God. And you will offer peace offerings and eat there. And you will rejoice before Adonai your God at that mountain across the Jordan, west towards sunset, in the land where the Canaanite dwells, in Arbah in front of Gilgal beside the oak(s) of Mor'e in front of Shechem.

The reliance of the SP's Exodus decalogue upon deuteronomic passages for the Gerizim commandment should be clear at this point. But why did the SP scribe(s) choose to pull a geographic description for Mount Gerizim from Dt 11:30? When one consults Dt 11:29 the answer is obvious:

And it will happen that when Adonai your God brings you into the land where you are going to dispossess it, that you will set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon Mount Ebal.

Aha! The context of Dt 11:30 is one of blessing for Mount Gerizim. The scribe(s) behind the SP Ex 20:17 interpolation would've expected the ancient reader(s) to pick up on this apologetic subtlety. As for what follows Ex 20:17ff in the SP, confer Dt 5:24-28 where the wording is also verbatim.

            Next, the Sabbath command from the Samaritan reading of Ex 20:8 uses "guard" (= שמור šāmôr) while all other ancient texts use the term "remember" (= זכור zāḵôr) or an equivalent:

The Septuagint Rahlfs LXX	The Peshitta Codex Khabhouris	The SP A.F. von Gall	The MT WLC
μνήσθητι τὴν ἡμέραν τῶν σαββάτων ἁγιάζειν αὐτήν	ܐܬܕܟܪ ܝܘܡܐ ܕܫܒܬܐ ܠܡܩܕܫܘܬܗ	שׁמור את יום השבת לקדשהו	זכור את־יום השׁבת לקדשׁו׃
English:	English:	English:	English:
Remember the day of the Sabbath(s) to sanctify it.	Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.	Guard the Sabbath day to sanctify it.	Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.

            The SP Ex 20:8 version is unique among other ancient witnesses, so where did it come from? It likely derived from Dt 5:12 where this commandment is reiterated, but differently:

The Septuagint  Rahlfs LXX	The Peshitta  Codex Khabouris	The SP A.F. von Gall	The MT  WLC
φύλαξαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῶν σαββάτων ἁγιάζειν αὐτήν, ὃν τρόπον ἐνετείλατό σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου	ܛܪ ܝܘܡܐ ܕܫܒܬܐ ܘܩܕܫܝܗܝ܂ ܐܝܟ ܕܦܩܕܟ ܡܪܝܐ ܐܠܗܟ	שׁמור את יום השׁבת לקדשׁהו כאשׁר צוך יהוה אלהיך	שמור את־יום השׁבת לקדשׁו כאשׁר צוך יהוה אלהיך׃
English:	English:	English:	English:
Guard the day of the Sabbath(s) to sanctify it in which manner Adonai your God gave charge to you.	Guard the Sabbath day and sanctify it as Adonai your God has commanded you.	Guard the Sabbath day to consecrate it as Adonai you God commanded you.	Guard the Sabbath day to consecrate it as Adonai you God commanded you.

            The term "guard" (= שמור šāmôr) is found in all ancient versions of the deuteronomic Sabbath command including the DSS (= Dead Sea Scrolls). The assertion that a Samaritan scribe relied heavily upon Deuteronomy as a source for conflating texts to forge the Mount Gerizim injunction is bolstered by the usage of שמור šāmôr in SP Ex 20:8 when in all other versions this term is unique to Deuteronomy's Sabbath command. In other words, Deuteronomy's phraseology wasn't only used to fabricate an extra command for the Exodus decalogue but also to smooth out what was seen as a discrepancy in the Sabbath commandment as listed in Ex 20:8 and Dt 5:12.

            In conclusion, the best evidence against the Mount Gerizim injunction being authentic is its lack of attestation in other sources. The commandment is missing from all other ancient authorities including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac Peshitta, Ethiopic Orit, and Latin Vulgate texts. The Mount Gerizim injunction is undoubtedly spurious and an addendum to the text engineered by scribes to befit the people of Samaria by delegitimizing Jerusalem and subsequently any authority that lies therein, also nullifying the need to travel to Jerusalem regularly. Salvation is of the Jews indeed.