The Jewish Studies Blog

So, imagine the same Jesus who told the Samaritan woman that he was the Messiah, expected by all the ancient Israelite movements, who now says to the representatives of the Jerusalem Temple authorities in Galilee – I will not lose anything my Father has entrusted me – not any group under the Ancient Israelite umbrella. In a sense he is saying, “I have not come only for Judeans, or only for Samaritans, or only for Essenes or exclusively for any other single Jewish/Israelite group. I have come as a true King of Israel to reunite and lead ‘all Israel’ out of exile to the long awaited redemption.”

the hoi Iudaioi (Jewish Israelites) who saw the miracles were not able to see them as signs (Read here) and therefore, they did not believe (John 6.36); while the Samaritans (Samaritan Israelites), who did not see a single miracle of Jesus – “believed in him because of the woman’s testimony…” and “many more believed because of his (Jesus’) word.” (John 4.38-41)

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. Part of the problem is that we can only know with…

My article (slightly longer than usual) on the Samaritan Woman has been getting a lot of attention lately from our readers judging from my blog reports. So, I decided to post this…

Prof. Menachem Fisch is a Joseph and Ceil Mazer Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Tel Aviv University and serves as a director of the Center for Religious and Interreligious…