The area of Samaria lay between Judaea and Galilee, to the west of the Jordan river. The city of Samaria had been the ancient capital of the northern kingdom of Israel which was conquered in 721 B.C. by the Assyrians. The people of Israel were removed to other areas of the Assyrian empire and other conquered peoples were brought into Israel, as settler with the result that a mixed population grew up in the area of Samaria Idolatry appeared in the religion of these people although the religion of Yahweh, Israel's God was re-introduced. In the time of Alexander the Great, the people of the area, the Samaritans, built their own temple which was later destroyed by one of the descendants of the Maccabees.

The Jews despised the Samaritans and the Samaritans responded with hostility to the Jews, as can be seen from the following references: John 4:1-42, Luke 9:51-56, Luke 17:11-19, 10:30-37. The Samaritans upheld the teaching of the books of the Jewish Law and celebrated the Passover, but did not go to Jerusalem to worship.