What do Samaritan writings say about their past, and how do Jews describe them?
Research question: Which Samaritan writings beyond the Pentateuch (liturgical, exegetical or legal) describe the community's origins and practices, and how do they compare with Jewish accounts of Samaritans?
The only Samaritan writing beyond the Pentateuch in the verified facts is the Samaritan Esther, an Arabic text that replaces the biblical Jews with Samaritans and portrays the evil vizier as a Jew 5. It rewrites the story to fit the Samaritan view of history 7, and its author appears to have drawn on a Septuagint-derived version of Esther 8. Jewish rabbinic accounts describe Samaritans as descendants of Cuthean non-Jews brought by the Assyrians 1, debate the sincerity of their conversion 2, and note their Temple on Mt. Gerizim and rejection of Jerusalem 3. Because the Samaritan Esther is the only such writing among the facts, the comparison with Jewish accounts is only partial 51; the newest fact dates from 2018, about eight years before October 2026 5.
Sources
"According to the Talmud, the Samaritans descend from a group of non-Jews brought to Samaria by the Assyrians, see II Kings 17. They are called by the rabbis Cutheans because many of them came from Cuta."English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim 3:10:1 [Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp]
"There is a debate in the Talmud whether or not their conversion was sincere. They seem to have partially assimilated into Israel."English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim 3:10:1 [Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp]
"The main difference between Samaritans and other Israelites is that their Temple was, and remains to this day, on Mt. Gerizim. They do not recognize Jerusalem as a place of importance."English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim 3:10:1 [Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp]
"Besides this difference, they observed many commandments as did the other Israelites, certainly those in the Bible but even some not mentioned in the Bible."English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim 3:10:1 [Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp]
"The author of this Arabic text replaces the Jews in Esther with Samaritans, while portraying the evil vizier as a Jew."The Samaritan Esther (2018)
"that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal."Deuteronomy 11:25-30 [King James Version]
"in which the story is rewritten to bring it in line with the Samaritan perspective on history."The Samaritan Esther (2018)
"it is argued that its author used a rendition of Esther that was based on the Septuagint's version of the story."The Samaritan Esther (2018)
"The ways in which the author has adapted Esther for his purposes bring to mind the acculturation of the story within Islamic historiography"The Samaritan Esther (2018)