Seeking Fulfillment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Seeking Fulfillment - Essay Example This well is still in place to this day. Here, next to the forefather’s well met two people Christ and the Samaritan woman. These two figures embodied two different worlds - Jewish and Samaritan who mutually hated each other, although they had common roots. Pagans captured this territory around the 7th century BCE and intermarried with the indigenous inhabitants – Jews; thus forming a nation of Samaritans. From Scripture, they recognized only the Torah of Moses - the Torah. Along with God, Yahweh, they also recognize the pagan idols. The Jews saw them as half pagans and quarreled with them nearly incessantly. As a result of the ill-will harbored between these two people groups the Jews even denied them to participate in the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem. Accordingly, Samaritans built a separate temple on Mount Gerizim which served to only further and intensity the feud that had already lasted for around 600 years. In 107 BCE Maccabeus rebels destroyed the temp le; something the Samaritans Jews could not forgive. They spat toward each other from afar and considered touching each other with their own eyes as worse than touching any other impurity. â€Å"The Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, and as far as possible avoided all dealing with each other. To trade with the Samaritans in case of necessity was indeed counted lawful by the rabbis; but all social intercourse with them was condemned. A Jew would not borrow from a Samaritan, nor receive a kindness, not even a morsel of bread or a cup of water. The disciples, in buying food, were acting in harmony with the custom of their nation. But beyond this they did not go. To ask a favor of the Samaritans, or in any way seek to benefit them, did not enter into the thought of even Christ's... According to the report findings the meeting of Christ and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well occurred at Samaritan territory near the town of Sychar. There was only one well, 32 meters deep, dug by Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel about fifteen hundred years before the birth of Christ. This well is still in place to this day. Here, next to the forefather’s well met two people Christ and the Samaritan woman. These two figures embodied two different worlds - Jewish and Samaritan who mutually hated each other, although they had common roots. Pagans captured this territory around the 7th century BCE and intermarried with the indigenous inhabitants – Jews; thus forming a nation of Samaritans. From Scripture, they recognized only the Torah of Moses - the Torah. Along with God, Yahweh, they also recognize the pagan idols. The Jews saw them as half pagans and quarreled with them nearly incessantly. This essay stresses that Samaritans built a separate temple on Mount Gerizim which served to only further and intensity the feud that had already lasted for around 600 years. In 107 BCE Maccabeus rebels destroyed the temple; something the Samaritans Jews could not forgive. They spat toward each other from afar and considered touching each other with their own eyes as worse than touching any other impurity. Therefore, by a careful examination of the historical background to the situation, it becomes clear why certain figures in the story behave in the way that they do.