religions ArticleArticle TheThe Importance Importance ofof thethe WadiWadi DaliyehDaliyeh Manuscripts Manuscripts for thefor Historythe History of Samaria of Samaria and and the the Samaritans Samaritans Jan Dušek Jan Dušek Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University, Prague 115 55, Czech Republic; [email protected] Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University, Prague 115 55, Czech Republic; [email protected] Received:Received: 16 16 December December 2019; 2019; Accepted:Accepted: 20 January 2020; 2020; Published: Published: 29 29 January January 2020 2020 Abstract:Abstract:In In this this article, article, wewe dealdeal withwith the topic of of the the Samaria Samaria papyri papyri from from Wadi Wadi Daliyeh Daliyeh in inthree three mainmain parts parts implied implied by by the the title.title. First, we briefly briefly summarize summarize the the basic basic data data re relatedlated to tothe the manuscripts. manuscripts. Second,Second, we we analyze analyze their their significance significance forfor the history of of Samaria. Samaria. Third, Third, the the last last section section is isdevoted devoted to to thethe meaning meaning of of the the papyri papyri for for thethe historyhistory ofof the Samaritans. Keywords:Keywords:Wadi Wadi Daliyeh; Daliyeh;Samaria; Samaria; PersianPersian period; Samaritans 1.1. Discovery Discovery of of the the Samaria Samaria PapyriPapyri inin Wadi Daliyeh, Their Their Date Date and and Content Content TheThe Samaria Samaria papyri papyri werewere foundfound by the Ta ʿâmirehâmireh Bedouins Bedouins in in the the Mughâret Mughâret Ab Abū uShinjeh¯ Shinjeh cave cave inin Wadi Wadi Daliyeh, Daliyeh, approximately approximately 1414 kmkm northnorth ofof Jericho, in in or or before before 1962. 1962. The The exact exact date date of oftheir their discoverydiscovery is is unknown. unknown. ScholarsScholars inin Jerusalem, Yusef Yusef Saad, Saad, the the curator curator of of the the Palestine Palestine Archaeological Archaeological Museum,Museum, Roland Roland de de Vaux Vaux from from the theÉ coleÉcole Biblique Biblique et et arch archéologiqueéologique française française in inJerusalem, Jerusalem, andand PaulPaul W. Lapp,W. Lapp, at that at time that directortime director of the of American the American School School of Oriental of Oriental Research Research in Jerusalem in Jerusalem (W. F. Albright(W. F. InstituteAlbright of Institute Oriental of Research), Oriental Research), were informed were in offormed their existence of their existence by the famous by the dealer famous in dealer antiquities in Khalilantiquities Iskander Khalil Shahin, Iskander known Shahin, under known the name under Kando, the name in April Kando, 1962. in April A set 1962. of objects—manuscripts, A set of objects— bullae,manuscripts, and coins—coming bullae, and coins—coming from the Bedouins’ from the excavations Bedouins’ in excavations the Wadi Daliyeh in the Wadi cave ofDaliyeh Mugh caveâret Abof u¯ ShinjehMughâret were Ab subsequentlyū Shinjeh were purchased subsequently for the purchased Palestine Archaeological for the Palestine Museum Archaeological in Jerusalem Museum (today in the Jerusalem (today the Rockefeller Museum) on 19 November 1962 and 7 August 1963. The Rockefeller Museum) on 19 November 1962 and 7 August 1963. The manuscripts were edited twice. manuscripts were edited twice. The first edition was prepared by Douglas M. Gropp (Gropp et al. The first edition was prepared by Douglas M. Gropp (Gropp et al. 2001) and the second by the author of 2001) and the second by the author of this article (Dušek 2007). A few other inscribed fragments were this article (Dušek 2007). A few other inscribed fragments were later purchased for the private collection later purchased for the private collection of Martin Schøyen. The script on the new papyri fragments of Martin Schøyen. The script on the new papyri fragments is the same as that used in the main corpus. is the same as that used in the main corpus. Some of the fragments seem to contain parts of proper Some of the fragments seem to contain parts of proper names and other words attested in the main names and other words attested in the main corpus of the Samaria papyri, so it is possible that the corpus of the Samaria papyri, so it is possible that the fragments from the Schøyen collection originally fragments from the Schøyen collection originally belonged to this set of papyri (Dušek 2016). belongedThe to legal this documents, set of papyri today (Dušek known 2016 as). the Wadi Daliyeh Samaria Papyri (WDSP), were probably depositedThe legal in the documents, Mughâret today Abū Shinjeh known cave as the in Wadi Wadi Daliyeh Daliyeh Samariain the context Papyri of (WDSP),the events were in Samaria probably depositedduring and in theafter Mugh the âcampaignret Abu¯ Shinjeh of Alexander cave in the Wadi Great Daliyeh in Egypt in the in context332/31 ofBCE. the Alexander, events in Samaria after duringhaving and conquered after the the campaign city of Tyre of Alexander in July 332 the BC GreatE and inappointed Egypt in Andromachus 332/31 BCE. Alexander, as governor after of Syria, having conqueredcontinued the southward city of Tyre to in Egypt. July 332 During BCE andhis appointedstay in Egypt, Andromachus the inhabitants as governor of the ofcity Syria, of Samaria continued southwardrevolted against to Egypt. Andromachus During his and stay burned in Egypt, him the alive. inhabitants When Alexander of the city received of Samaria this revolted bad news, against he Andromachusreturned to Samaria and burned and punished him alive. the When rebels Alexander (Quintus Curtius, received Historiae this bad IV, news, VIII, he 9–11). returned The owner to Samaria or andowners punished of the the Samaria rebels papyri (Quintus were Curtius, probablyHistoriae amongIV, the VIII, people 9–11). from The the owner city of or Samaria owners who of the tried Samaria to papyriescape were from probably Alexander’s among army, the and people who, from with the only city their of Samariamost valuable who tried and transportable to escape from belongings, Alexander’s army,wanted and to who, hide with in the only Mughâret their most Ab valuableū Shinjeh and cave transportable in Wadi Daliyeh. belongings,1 Nevertheless, wanted to they hide were in the Mughprobablyâret Ab foundu¯ Shinjeh by Alexander’s cave in Wadi army Daliyeh. and they1 Nevertheless, may have been they suffocated were probably by a fire found lit by by Alexander’s Alexander’s armysoldiers and at they the may entrance have of been the suffocatedcave (Cross by 1974, a fire pp. lit 17 by– Alexander’s18). soldiers at the entrance of the cave (Cross 1974 , pp. 17–18). 1 See the list of the finds from the Persian period in Mughâret Abū Shinjeh in Lapp and Lapp (1974, pp. 13–14). Religions 2020, 11, 63; doi:10.3390/rel11020063 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions 1 See the list of the finds from the Persian period in Mughâret Abu¯ Shinjeh in Lapp and Lapp(1974, pp. 13–14). Religions 2020, 11, 63; doi:10.3390/rel11020063 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions 2020, 11, 63 2 of 12 in the (שמריN בירתא! קריתא!) The Samaria papyri were written in the city or the fortress of Samaria n most of them during the second third of the 4th century BCE, in the ,(שמריN מדינתא!) province of Samaria last decades of the Persian period before Alexander’s conquest of Palestine (Dušek 2007, pp. 441–45). The oldest document that can be explicitly dated, WDSP 22, was probably written between 375 and 365 BCE. The latest document containing a dating formula, WDSP 1, was concluded on 19 March 335 BCE (= the 20th of Adar, year 2 (of Arses/Artaxerxes IV), beginning of the reign of Darius III).2 Another fragment, WDSP 36 frg. 1, perhaps originally belonged to a document that could even have been written after WDSP 1, between 335 and 332 BCE (Dušek 2007, p. 423). None of the documents are preserved in entirety. The best-preserved deed, WDSP 1, seems to represent approximately only half of the original document. Most of the Samaria papyri are deeds of sale of slaves, single male or female slaves, or groups of slaves.3 Some documents concern other transactions regarding slaves,4 a loan (WDSP 17), a lawsuit (WDSP 11 verso), and other types of contracts. Only papyrus strips remain of some of the documents. WDSP 28—WDSP 37 consist of groups of papyrus fragments. Bullae, some of them still attached to the manuscripts, were discovered along with the Samaria papyri. The bullae purchased for the Palestine Archaeological Museum were published by Mary Joan Winn Leith (Leith 1997). In 1992, the original corpus of the Wadi Daliyeh bullae of the Palestine Archaeological Museum was enlarged by the publication of approximately forty additional bullae, purchased by R. Hecht and published by Ephraim Stern (Stern 1992, 2002).5 Most of the bullae from Wadi Daliyeh bear depictions of various Persian/Near Eastern or Greek motifs such as nude youths and warriors, male and female figures, Dionysian subjects, animals (single or flanking), the Persian Hero, and others.6 Similar motifs were also used on some of the Samarian coins minted during the 4th century BCE (Leith 1997, pp. 29–30; 2000). The motifs depicted on the Samarian bullae and coins are different from those used in Judah during the Persian period. The Samarian imagery from the Persian period reflects the history and the culture of the region, which was different from that of Judah,7 and indicates the existence of cultural continuity between the Iron Age Israel and the Persian province of Samaria (Leith 2014). 2. The Wadi Daliyeh Manuscripts and Samaria in the Late Persian Period The Samaria papyri from Wadi Daliyeh provide us with precious information regarding some of the inhabitants of Samaria, including some of its officials. The deeds also contain information on length and weighing measures used in the province during the 4th century BCE, before Alexander.