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Document Details : Title: Shechem and the Samaritans Author(s): PUMMER, Reinhard Journal: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Volume: 59 Date: 2022 Pages: 171-189 DOI: 10.2143/ANES.59.0.3291193 Abstract : The purpose of this paper is to bring together all available evidence for and against the presumed importance of the ancient city of Shechem for the Samaritans in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods. The paper addresses such questions as: Was the city once the centre of the Samaritans? Does the mention of Shechem in ancient literature express or imply pro- or anti-Samaritan tendencies? When did the name Shechem become associated with the Roman city of Neapolis, modern Nablus? A closer look at the evidence shows that Shechem never was the capital of the Samaritans and they never identified with this city. After the foundation of Neapolis in 72 CE, the name Shechem was gradually transferred to it in both Samaritan and non-Samaritan usage. |
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