Samaritan Temple Destroyed

Around −110, John Hyrcanus I, the Hasmonean ruler and High Priest of Judea, conquered Mount Gerizim and destroyed the Samaritan temple during his expansion of the Jewish kingdom.

The Samaritans worshipped the God of Israel but regarded Mount Gerizim, rather than Jerusalem, as the divinely chosen location for sacrifice. Their temple had served as a rival religious center to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem for centuries.

The destruction intensified the religious and political division between Jews and Samaritans, two communities sharing ancient Israelite traditions. Archaeological excavations have confirmed extensive destruction at the site during the Hasmonean period.