September 14, 2022

Press Release

Israel's President Lends Ancient Samaritan Stone for New Historic Exhibit at Museum of the Bible

Opening events include virtual appearance from President Herzog; panel discussion; documentary screening

WASHINGTON – Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, has contributed a special stone inscription to the first-ever major exhibition on the Samaritans at Museum of the Bible. Created in partnership with Yeshiva University, the exhibition provides unprecedented access to the life, culture and history of the Samaritans, a 2,000-year-old community. 

As part of the exhibit’s opening events, President Herzog will speak via video at the preview event, “The Samaritans: Ancient and Modern,” on Thursday, Sept. 15. This virtual and in-person program will explore the history of the Samaritans through a panel discussion and first look at the exhibition. 

“I'm so pleased that this inscription, which bears the mark of human faith, intention, and creativity across the ages, will be part of the very first exhibition about the Samaritan Israelite community,” said President Herzog. 

Among the six objects on loan from Israel is a large stone inscription loaned by the Israeli presidential residence and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). 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. 

“This is a story that reflects the many voices that make up our social tapestry and the many textured layers of history that contribute to our collective human story here in the Holy Land,” said President Herzog. “I'm grateful to the Museum of the Bible, to Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, and to the many able minds and hands that have come together to bring this exhibition to life and the story of this special community, the Samaritan community, to a broad public.”

Also participating in the opening events at Museum of the Bible are Eli Eskosido, Director-General of the IAA, and Yuval Baruch, head archaeologist of the IAA. Also included in the exhibition are a medieval Samaritan inscription of the Ten Commandments from Bet Al-ma and a 2nd-century inscription from Nablus. A total of 27 institutions and individuals loaned objects for the exhibition from Israel, Greece, and the US. 

The exhibition 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 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 artifacts 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 varied 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 assembles, for the first time, the most important artifacts 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 Museum of the Bible. “We couldn’t be more excited to share their story with the world.”

On Sept. 15, the museum will host a preview event, “The Samaritans: Ancient and Modern,” from 6:30-8:00 p.m. This virtual and in-person program will explore the history of the Samaritans through a panel discussion and first look at the exhibition. 

On Sept. 16 and 18, the museum will screen the documentary “The Samaritans: A Biblical People,” which reveals Samaritan life through conversations with members of the community.

The exhibition will be available on the museum's fifth floor through January 1, 2023 and is included with general admission. More information and tickets are available here