Josephus on the Samaritans in Limbo

When Alexander had thus settled matters at Jerusalem, he led his army into the neighboring cities. When all the inhabitants to whom he came received him with great kindness, the Samaritans—who had Shechem for their metropolis, a city situated at Mount Gerizim and inhabited by deserters from the Jewish nation—seeing that Alexander had so greatly honored the Jews, determined to profess themselves Jews. For such is the disposition of the Samaritans, as we have already demonstrated elsewhere, that when the Jews are in adversity, they deny that they are of kin to them, and it is then that they confess the truth. But when they perceive that some good fortune has befallen them [the Jews], they immediately pretend to have communion with them, saying that they belong to them and derive their genealogy from the posterity of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Accordingly, they made their address to the king with splendor and showed great enthusiasm in meeting him at a little distance from Jerusalem. When Alexander had commended them, the Shechemites approached him, taking with them the troops that Sanballat had sent him, and they desired that he would come to their city and also honor their temple, to which he promised that, when he returned, he would come to them. And when they petitioned that he would remit the tribute of the seventh year to them, because they did not sow then, he asked who they were that they made such a petition. When they said that they were Hebrews but had the name of Sidonians living at Shechem, he asked them again whether they were Jews; and when they said they were not Jews, “It was to the Jews,” he answered, “that I granted that privilege; however, when I return and am thoroughly informed by you on this matter, I shall do what I think proper.” And in this manner, he took leave of the Shechemites but ordered that the troops of Sanballat should follow him into Egypt. There he designed to give them lands, which he did a little after in Thebais, when he ordered them to guard that country.

When Alexander died, the government was divided among his successors [the Diadochi], but the temple upon Mount Gerizim remained. And if anyone were accused by Jerusalemites of having eaten unclean food or of having broken the Sabbath, or of any such crime, he fled to the Shechemites and said that he was accused unjustly. Jaddua, the high priest, had also died, and Onias his son took the high priesthood. This was the state of the affairs of the people of Jerusalem at this time.