Was Jesus a Samaritan?

Discussion about the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeology, etc.
Post Reply
Jero
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:47 am

Was Jesus a Samaritan?

Post by Jero »

Was Jesus a Samaritan?
For decades I have had this feeling that all is not what it seems when it comes to the supposed Jewishness of Jesus when the information is contrary to what we believe. Both, Matthew and Luke genealogies of Jesus attest to his Davidic Bloodline, but factually it is incorrect. Historically both genealogies do not match and have errors and anomalies that don’t ring true. Done it appears to authenticate the Messiahship of Jesus.
How many people in this technological age could go back a thousand years to claim descent from a king that is more mythical than true! Yet, the authors of Jesus’ genealogy expects us today to believe that a peasant carpenter from a remote village that was not even mentioned in the works of Josephus know that he was of Davidic Royal Blood! However, when we read the Old Testament (OT) or check the chronology of Israel on the history of the Israelites, the Jewishness and family tree of Jesus evaporates, like a puff of smoke!
Back in biblical history when Moses supposedly brought the Israelites out of Egypt into the land Canaan, God’s promised land c. 1400 BCE. The Israelites conquered the Canaanites with the help of their God, they named their new land, Israel. It stayed that way through the period of the Judges, and the early kings such as Saul, David and Solomon.
On the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king of (united) Israel and its 12 Tribes, nevertheless, it was short-lived as the Ten Northern* tribes refused to acknowledge Rehoboam as their new king. Owing to high taxation and historical labour disputes during the reign of Solomon. Meanwhile, Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim, who had fled to Egypt after being sentenced to death by the late king Solomon for subversion, returned from exile. In short, he led a revolt against Rehoboam after the king refused to lower taxes and negotiate on labour issues.
*Known today as Ten Lost Tribes of Israel!
In 931 BCE the once united kingdom of Israel—split in two! With Jeroboam becoming the first king of the Northern kingdom of Israel with its Ten tribes, and Rehoboam becoming the king of the Southern kingdom of Judah with its Two tribes.
This is where biblical history, geography, chronology and terminology comes into play!
The etymology of the English term Jew originates from the biblical Hebrew word Yehudi, meaning "from the Kingdom of Judah." So theoretically those Ten Tribes of the Northern kingdom of Israel were not Jews but Israelites. Therefore, to be a Jew (after 931 BCE), one must have been born into the tribe of Judah and lived within the kingdom. For two-centuries both kingdoms, North and South lived peacefully(?).
During the reign of King Omri (884-873) BCE the name of the kingdom of Israel changed to Samaria. (Proof of this is found in the Assyrian conflict of 733 BCE-721 BCE—Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it and captured it.[2 Kings 18:9-11 NIV and 2 Kings 17:24 NIV.]) Around c. 878 BCE Omri moved from his old capital Tirzah to his new capital also called Samaria, see 1 Kings 16: 23-24.
By 721 BCE, the conquest of Samaria was complete and the Assyrians deported all the Israelites to the four corners of the Assyrian empire. Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites.[2 Kings 17:24 NIV]
The same fate befell on the kingdom of Judah between 599 BCE and 583 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and exiled the king and all the Jews to Babylon. Zedekiah (597–586 BCE) was the last king of Judah when he was taken captive in 586 BCE and sent to Babylon. The Judah monarchy went extinct with his death when he died in captivity c. 861 BCE.
At the time of Jesus, the status quo remained with the population of Galilee being gentile/Samaritan.
Galilee was inhabited by Gentiles?
Isaiah 8
23 There is no gloom where there had been distress. Where once he degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, now he has glorified the way of the Sea, the land across the Jordan, *Galilee of the Nations.[a](Isaiah 8:23 NABRE) also see Footnote [a]
*Galilee of the Nations means the people that the king of Assyria forced to repopulate Samaria/northern kingdom of Israel from 721 BCE onward (see 2 Kings 17:24).
What Matthew 4 says on Galilee!
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
16 the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by the death
light has arisen.” [Matthew 4:15-16 NABRE]
Source: For both Isaiah 8:23 and Matthew 4:15-16
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s ... sion=NABRE
Jews in Palestine at the time of Jesus kept to the confines of what was to them their ancient tribal lands of Judah.
The foreigners who had repopulated the lands of the Ten tribes of Israelites were Pagan worshippers. However, between the year 721 BCE and the arrival of Ezra the scribe in Jerusalem. The new influx of people that replaced the Israelites became proselytes to Judaism. Today we know them as the Samaritans of the New Testament.
Although the tribal system had been abolished with the deportation from 599 BCE to 583 BCE when the last Jews were deported to Babylon. Yet, Luke in the NT tries to authenticate the Messiahship by stating that Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem to pay Roman taxes, which is historically false. However, it does allow the storyteller to place Mary giving birth to Jesus in the land of Judah.
Everything about this event in Bethlehem is fabricated.
My last comment before the final coup de grâce is that in
840 BCE 1st year of Queen Athaliah reign. She murdered all the royal heirs of David except the infant Joash aka Jehoash. (see 2 Kings 11:1-2).
Finally, no Jew would live in the time stated outside his ancient homeland and live amongst foreigners. We know that the Samaritans had their Synagogues, and Jews would be welcomed, but a Jewish Synagogue would not welcome a samaritan, even today.
The coup de grâce!
48 The Jews answered him [Jesus], “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”[John 8:48 NIV]
Jesus was not eligible to be a Messiah let alone be a Jew according to Jewish Law!

Cofion cynnes/warm regards
Jero Jones
Post Reply