The Life of Christ

When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria.

There were two possible routes from Judea to Galilee, a very common journey for many travelers that could take up to three days.

• One could go right through Samaria or circumvent Samaria by traveling on the east side of the Jordan River on what was called the Pilgrim’s Path.

• The Pilgrim’s Path was the common route for the Jews because according to Jn. 4:9, "The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

• This animosity grew even stronger around the time of the three annual Jewish feasts.

• Samaria and Israel had been involved in a long-standing religious feud that dated back hundreds of years.

Who were the Samaritans?

• Shechem, the capital city of the northern kingdom had been in Samaria, and sometimes the whole northern kingdom was referred to as “Samaria” (1 Kings 18:2).

The problem originally began when Omri, the wicked king of Israel built a new capital for the Northern Kingdom in the land later to be known as Samaria.

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