The Role of the Returned Israelite Priest in Post-Exilic Samaria After the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria was left depopulated and strategically repopulated with foreigners brought from various regions of the Assyrian Empire. These new settlers were unfamiliar with the worship of Yahweh, the God of … Continue reading What role did the returned Israelite priest play in teaching the new inhabitants about the worship of the Lord, and why did this instruction fail to produce true devotion?