The Chronicler’s Polemics towards the Samarian YHWH-Worshippers: A Fresh Approach

What is it about?

After some decennia of intensive debate, it is now broadly accepted that there is no anti-Samaritan polemics or polemical attitude towards the Northern Israelite Kingdom in the books of Chronicles. This is due to the well-known studies especially by S. Japhet, H.G.M. Williamson, and Th. Willi that convincingly point out that Chronicles provides a “Conception of an Integral Israel” (Willi), a concept of an “All-Israel” (Williamson) or a “pan-Israel” (Japhet) respectively. Chronicles therefore not only includes the Northern tribes in their (Judean) historical narration, but also openly invites the Northerners to join the Jerusalem YHWH-cult, and thus acknowledge their “Israelite” heritage. Hensel, however, shows that these assumptions are far from true. In fact, Chronicles provides a strong, well-molded polemic against the YHWH-worshippers in post-exilic times, which forms the overall retelling of Judean-“Israelite” history throughout the book. This study a) uses selected texts to demonstrate the anti-“Samaritan” text-strategies in Chronicles and b) explores the historical and religious-historical background of the polemics. As the Samarian YHWH-worshippers understand themselves as “Israelites” who had their own YHWH-shrine on Mt. Gerizim, the South’s “invitation” to come to Jerusalem must be seen as a “not-accomplishable condition” for the Gerizim-community.

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