Abstract

Through the examination of archaeological evidences, this article aims to illustrate the remains of the cultual activities carried out at the temple of the Samaritans on Mount Garizim. The archaeological excavations conducted between 1984 and 2006 by Yitzhak Magen are fundamental for the reconstruction of the different stages of life of the sanctuary. After having discussed Y. Magen’s interpretative hypotheses, the positions of other scholars will be examined. Two main trends in research are presented: scholars who believe in the existence of a walled and roofed temple inside the precint and those who, on the contrary, believe that the Samaritan sanctuary was formed only by a open air precint with an altar for sacrifices. The two reconstructive hypotheses of the original form of the sanctuary are finally compared with the examples of the contemporary templar architecture of the Southern Levant.