The word "Samaritan" comes from the Hebrew word "Shomron," which means "watch over."
Meaning:
In biblical usage, Samaritans refers to the people who lived in the region of Samaria, north of Judea, during the time of Jesus.
They were considered by the Jews to be half-Jews, as they were descended from a mixture of Israelites and foreigners.
In modern usage, the term "Samaritan" can refer to:
Someone who is known for their kindness and helpfulness towards others, often without expecting anything in return.
A person who belongs to the Samaritan ethnic group, which is a small community of people living in the Middle East.
Origin:
The Samaritans trace their origins to the ancient Israelites who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the 9th to 8th centuries BCE.
After the fall of the northern kingdom to the Assyrians in 722 BCE, many of the Israelites were exiled to other parts of the Assyrian Empire, including the region of Samaria.
The remaining Israelites intermarried with foreigners, and the resulting population became known as Samaritans.
The Samaritans developed their own distinctive beliefs and practices, which differed from those of the Jews in Judea.