Samaria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Samaria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The inhabitants worshiped the Greek gods, but when the then-sparsely populated areas became infested with dangerous wild beasts, they appealed to the king of Assyria for Israelite priests to instruct them on how to worship the 'God of that country.' The result was a syncretistic religion, in which national groups worshiped the Hebrew god, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.[dubious – discuss] Samaritans claim to be descendants of Israelites from the Northern Kingdom who escaped deportation and exile."