The Samaritan revolts (1 gen 484 anni – 1 gen 572 anni)

Descrizione:

The Samaritan revolts, spanning from approximately 484 to 573, were a series of uprisings in the Palaestina Prima province against the Eastern Roman Empire. These revolts resulted in significant violence and had profound demographic consequences for the region, ultimately establishing Christians as the dominant group in Palaestina Prima for many decades.

Background:

Following the Jewish-Roman wars, the Jewish community largely diminished across Judaea and the Southern Levant, with Samaritans and Byzantine Christians occupying central regions. Nabataeans and Christian Ghassanid Arabs settled in the periphery.
The Samaritan community experienced a golden age during this period, with the rebuilding of the Temple of Gerizim after the Bar Kochba revolt and a brief period of semi-independence during the 3rd and 4th centuries under Baba Rabba.
Justa Uprising (484):

During the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno, tensions between Christians and Samaritans in Neapolis escalated dramatically.
Emperor Zeno persecuted the Samaritans, leading to a revolt in 484. The Samaritans reacted to rumors of Christians intending to transfer the remains of Aaron's sons by entering the cathedral of Neapolis, killing Christians, and severing the fingers of Bishop Terebinthus.
Justa (or Justasas) was elected as king, and the Samaritans moved to Caesarea, where they killed many Christians and destroyed the church of St. Procopius.
Asclepiades, the dux Palaestinae, defeated Justa, killing him and sending his head to Emperor Zeno.
Zeno responded by erecting a church dedicated to Mary on Mount Gerizim, forbidding Samaritans from traveling there for religious ceremonies, and confiscating their synagogue.
The order of events preserved by Samaritan sources has been questioned by modern historians, suggesting that Zeno's persecution was a consequence rather than the cause of the rebellion.
Zeno rebuilt the church of Saint Procopius in Neapolis and banned Samaritans from Mount Gerizim, further fueling Samaritan anger toward Christians.

These revolts and their suppression by the Byzantines and Ghassanid allies resulted in significant casualties and reshaped the demographic landscape of Palaestina Prima, establishing Christians as the dominant group in the region.

The Samaritan community faced significant challenges and decline in both the late Byzantine and early Islamic periods:

Late Byzantine Period:

The Samaritan faith was outlawed, leading to a decline in Samaritan numbers from nearly a million to the low hundreds of thousands.
The failure of the Jewish revolt against Heraclius in 629, followed by the slaughter of the Jewish population, further worsened the situation for Samaritans.
Early Islamic Period:

Samaritan numbers remained low during the Islamic era, similar to the late Byzantine period, due to previous revolts and forced conversions.
Contemporary sources indicate that Samaritans were a minority compared to Christians and Jews in cities like Caesarea Maritima, with the majority of the provincial population being Christian.

Following the Muslim conquest of the Levant in 636, Samaritans faced more disabilities than Christians and Jews, as Arab rulers often questioned whether they were included as "People of the Book."
While the initial Arab Islamic invasion initially benefited the Samaritan community, they still faced conversion to Islam due to economic, social, and theological reasons, leading to further decline in numbers.
Harsh persecution of Samaritans occurred under more fanatical Caliphs, such as Al-Mansur, Harun al-Rashid, and al-Mutawakkil. Islamic religious leaders stirred anti-Samaritan sentiments and occasionally called for their annihilation, leading to the practical wiping out of Samaritan wealth.
Overall, the Samaritan community faced significant challenges, persecution, and decline during both the late Byzantine and early Islamic periods, resulting in a reduction in their numbers and influence.

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