Mount Gerizim Temple

Mount Gerizim Temple
Ruins belonging to the sanctuary
Religion
AffiliationSamaritanism
RegionSamaria
DeityYahweh
LeadershipSamaritan priesthood
Location
LocationMount Gerizim
CountryAchaemenid Empire (first)
Hasmonean kingdom (last)
Mount Gerizim Temple is located in Levant
Mount Gerizim Temple
Shown within Levant
Palestine grid176/178
Geographic coordinates32°12′1″N 35°16′24″E / 32.20028°N 35.27333°E / 32.20028; 35.27333
Architecture
Completed5th century BCE (original)
2nd century BCE (reconstructed)
Destroyedc. 110 BCE
Excavation dates1983–2006
ArchaeologistsYitzhak Magen
Present-day siteMount Gerizim archaeological site
Public accessYes

The Mount Gerizim Temple was an ancient Samaritan center of worship located on Mount Gerizim originally constructed in the mid-5th century BCE, reconstructed in the early 2nd century BCE, and destroyed later in that same century.[1] The temple is attested in several historical sources, both literary and epigraphical, including references in 2 Maccabees from the second century BCE and two Greek inscriptions found on the island of Delos, also dating to the same period, which mention a sanctuary on the mountain.[2] Additionally, the first-century CE historian Josephus provides an account of the temple's founding (though inaccurately dated[3]) and its eventual destruction by Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus c. 110 BCE.[2]

Archaeological excavations on Mount Gerizim's main peak revealed remnants of the sacred precinct, or temenos,[2] that enclosed the temple.[4] During the Persian period (5th–4th centuries BCE), a small monumental sacred complex existed at the site, featuring ashlar masonry walls, courtyards, and chambers.[5] Persian-era finds include pottery, silver jewelry, coins, and burned bones, primarily of goats, sheep, cattle, and doves,[5] indicating sacrificial practices.[6] The site underwent major expansion during the Hellenistic period during the reign of Antiochus III (223–187 BCE), when a large fortified town and a new sacred precinct were constructed.[5] The Hellenistic structures were built with smooth quarried stones and included city walls, domiciles, and service buildings.[5] According to Josephus, the temple resembled the Temple in Jerusalem.[7] Excavations revealed thousands of coins and hundreds of inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek,[5] confirming the temple's dedication to the worship of Yahweh.[8] The rebuilt temple remained in use for about 90 years before its final destruction.[9]

Today, Mount Gerizim retains its status as the holiest site in Samaritanism, though the temple has followed a markedly different path than its Jerusalem counterpart. While the Jerusalem Temple remains central to Jewish theology, liturgy and historical consciousness, the Mount Gerizim temple has vanished from Samaritan memory, with modern Samaritans rejecting its historical existence altogether and interpreting the ancient remains as administrative buildings or a sacrificial compound.[10] For Samaritans, Mount Gerizim itself is sacred,[11] and the community gathers there for the three annual pilgrimages prescribed in the Torah, most notably during Passover when they perform the traditional sheep sacrifice atop the mountain. The current Samaritan holy site, known as "The Twelve Stones," may be situated where the temple's Holy of Holies once stood.[12]

  1. ^ Pummer 2022, pp. 31–32.
  2. ^ a b c Pummer 2022, p. 31.
  3. ^ Knoppers 2013, p. 123.
  4. ^ Magen 2007, p. 157.
  5. ^ a b c d e Knoppers 2013, pp. 124–125.
  6. ^ Magen 2007, pp. 162, 164.
  7. ^ Magen 2007, p. 158.
  8. ^ Magen 2007, pp. 167–168.
  9. ^ Magen 2007, pp. 158, 164.
  10. ^ Pummer 2024, p. 23.
  11. ^ Pummer 2022, p. 39.
  12. ^ Magen 2007, p. 160.