Samaritans in the Time of Moses? A Historical Misstep
📖 Qur’anic Claim:
In Surah Taha (20:85–95), the Qur’an describes a figure referred to as the "Samaritan" who leads the Israelites into idolatry by creating the golden calf while Moses is away. The verse reads:
"He said: 'Did you not see what they did? They made a calf and worshipped it. And they did wrong.' He (Moses) said: 'Did you not see that they do not return to you, nor do they speak to you?'" (Qur'an 20:85–95)
This Samaritan figure, who leads the Israelites astray, is depicted as a key antagonist in the golden calf episode. However, this attribution of the term "Samaritan" is historically problematic when compared to known biblical timelines.
🏛️ Historical Problem:
The primary issue here is that the Samaritans as a distinct group did not exist during the time of Moses or the Exodus (~1300 BCE). The Samaritans emerged much later, after the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom of Israel, which took place around 720 BCE.
Here are the key chronological issues:
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Origins of the Samaritans: The Samaritans were a people who emerged after the Assyrian conquest of Israel in the 8th century BCE. The Assyrians deported the Israelite elite and resettled the region with foreign peoples, leading to the formation of a mixed population known as the Samaritans. This was centuries after the time of Moses, who is traditionally placed around the 13th century BCE.
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Biblical Context: In the Bible (Exodus 32), the golden calf incident occurs when the Israelites, led by Aaron, create an idol during Moses' absence. The Samaritans are not mentioned in this context at all, and the story is presented without reference to any group that would later be known as Samaritans.
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Chronological Discrepancy: By attributing the role of leading the Israelites into idolatry to a "Samaritan," the Qur’an places a group that did not exist during the Exodus period into a biblical narrative where they could not have been present. This reflects a clear anachronism, indicating a misunderstanding of the historical timeline.
🔍 Islamic Explanation:
Some Islamic scholars have attempted to explain this discrepancy by suggesting that the term "Samaritan" is not meant to refer to the historical Samaritans specifically, but to a person from the community of Moses who is presented as a traitor. The term may have been used metaphorically or symbolically to represent a misleading figure in the context of idolatry.
However, the use of the term "Samaritan" in this context is anachronistic in that the Samaritans were a well-established historical group only many centuries after the events described in the Qur'an. Therefore, the Qur'an’s use of this term is more likely a reflection of later knowledge of the Samaritans, who were known to be a contentious and distinct group by the time of the 7th century CE when the Qur’an was revealed, rather than a term accurately reflecting the biblical or ancient Egyptian context of the Exodus.
📚 Biblical vs. Qur’anic Narrative:
In the Bible, the creation of the golden calf is attributed to Aaron and the Israelite people, who, while waiting for Moses' return, were led astray by the idea of creating an idol. There is no mention of any Samaritans involved in the incident. The Bible focuses on the rebellion of the Israelites and their desire for a tangible god during their time in the desert.
In contrast, the Qur’anic narrative introduces a figure referred to as the "Samaritan", who leads the people into sin, though this character does not exist in the biblical account. This discrepancy between the two traditions suggests that the Qur’anic narrative may have borrowed elements from later Jewish traditions or oral retellings that involved Samaritans in various biblical stories.
🧩 The Likely Source:
The most likely explanation for this historical error is the transmission of oral traditions that involved Jewish and Christian sources after the rise of Samaritan identity in the 7th century CE. The Samaritans were well-known as a distinct group who clashed with both Jews and early Christians over matters of worship, particularly the location of the proper temple. It’s possible that the Qur’anic reference to the Samaritan reflects the historical reality of Samaritan tensions during the early Islamic period, rather than a reflection of events that took place in the 13th century BCE.
This kind of anachronistic reference suggests that the Qur’an may have been influenced by later Jewish and Christian sources or oral traditions that retroactively placed the Samaritans into earlier biblical stories, even though they did not exist at the time.
⚖️ Theological Implications:
The theological implications of this anachronism are significant:
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Divine Revelation vs. Human Error: If the Qur’an is truly a divine revelation, it would be expected to contain historically accurate details, including proper knowledge of the genealogies and histories of peoples like the Samaritans. The Qur'an’s error in placing them in the time of Moses calls into question the historical reliability of the text.
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Influence of Contemporary Events: The Qur’an seems to reflect a 7th-century understanding of religious history rather than a precise and timeless account of ancient events. This suggests that the Qur’an’s narratives may have been influenced by the contemporary political and religious climate, rather than reflecting a divinely inspired understanding of the past.
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Confusion Between Texts: This example highlights a broader issue in the Qur’an: the reliance on later sources and the misapplication of historical events to earlier contexts. It raises questions about how much of the Qur’an’s content is based on historical knowledge passed down from human traditions, rather than direct divine revelation.
🔄 Conclusion: Anachronism and the Roots of the Qur'anic Narrative
The reference to a "Samaritan" in the time of Moses is a clear historical anachronism. The Samaritans, as a distinct group, did not exist until centuries after Moses' time. The Qur'an’s use of this term suggests that it is influenced by later historical events and traditions that arose after the Assyrian exile and the rise of Samaritan identity. This anachronistic reference undermines the divine nature of the Qur’an’s narrative, as it reflects a 7th-century understanding of history rather than the ancient period it purports to describe.
This anachronism serves as another example of how the Qur'an’s content can be explained through historical developments, showing that its narratives may be based more on human retellings and oral traditions than on divine revelation.
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