Dositheos (Samaritan) facts for kids

Dositheos (sometimes called Nathanael) was an important religious leader from the Samaritans. Both names mean "gift of God." He was of Arab origin. Dositheos started a Samaritan group that many people thought was like Gnostic groups. It's also said that he knew John the Baptist and was either a teacher or a rival of Simon Magus.

Dositheos probably lived around the first century CE.

Early Accounts of Dositheos

Many old Christian and Jewish writings mention Dositheos. Some early Christian writers like Pseudo-Tertullian and Jerome said he was the first to reject the Nevi'im (Prophets). This idea might have led to the group called the Sadducees.

Hippolytus listed Dositheos first among 32 different religious groups he called "heresies." This suggests his group was very old. However, two other early Christian writers, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, didn't mention him.

Samaritan and Jewish Stories

A Samaritan writer named Abu al-Fatḥ, who lived in the 1300s, wrote about Dositheos. He said the Dosithean group started even before Alexander the Great's time.

Jewish writings also talk about Dositheos and Sabbæus. They were seen as the founders of two Samaritan groups: the Dositheans and the Sabuæans. These two leaders might be the same ones Josephus wrote about. Josephus said they defended the holy mountain, Mount Gerizim, in front of an Egyptian king.

The Samaritan history books, like the Book of Joshua, also tell a similar story. Josephus mentioned two Samaritan defenders. He likely meant Dositheos and Sabbæus. Their beliefs, like the holiness of Mount Gerizim and not accepting the Old Testament prophets, were similar to other Samaritans.

Dositheos and Simon Magus

Some writers, like Hegesippus, said Dositheos lived after Simon Magus. Others said Dositheos was Simon's teacher. They even mixed up Dositheos with Simon Magus.

Origen, another early writer, said Dositheos claimed to be the Christ (Messiah). He compared Dositheos to other figures who made similar claims. Origen also said Dositheos' followers claimed he never died and was still alive. This is different from a story by Epiphanius, who said Dositheos died from starving himself in a cave.

Epiphanius also wrote that some Dositheans lived very strict lives. They didn't eat meat, followed circumcision, kept the Sabbath very carefully, and followed rules about Levitical purity (being ritually clean).

How the Dositheans Changed

Origen believed the Dositheans were never very strong. He said that by his time, almost all of them had disappeared, with only about 30 left.

However, other writings suggest the Dositheans continued to exist. The Midrash mentions them, and a Christian leader named Eulogius of Alexandria argued against Dosithean followers in the 500s. This shows they were still around and had some influence, especially in Egypt. Origen might have been talking about a different Dosithean group that was Christian, not Samaritan.

The Story of Dositheos and Simon Magus's Rivalry

The Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions and Homilies tell an interesting story. Dositheos spread a false rumor that Simon Magus had died. This allowed Dositheos to become the leader of Simon's group.

When Simon came back, he pretended to be friends with Dositheos. He even accepted the second place in the group. But soon, Simon started hinting to the other 30 members that Dositheos wasn't as smart about their teachings as he should be.

Dositheos noticed that Simon was making him look bad. He was worried about his reputation, especially since people thought he was "the Standing One." So, when they met at their school, Dositheos got angry. He grabbed a stick and started to hit Simon. But suddenly, the stick seemed to pass right through Simon's body, like it was smoke! Dositheos was amazed and asked him, 'Tell me, are you the Standing One, so I can worship you?' Simon said yes. Then Dositheos realized he himself was not the Standing One. He fell down and worshipped Simon. He gave up his place as the main leader to Simon and told all 30 men to obey Simon. Dositheos then took the lower position that Simon used to have. Not long after this, Dositheos died.

Dositheans in Arabic Writings

Arabic writers in Egypt also learned about the Dositheans. Some might have also lived in Syria and Palestine.

Al-Masudi, who lived in the 900s, said Samaritans were split into two groups: the Kushan (regular Samaritans) and the Dostan (Dositheans). Another writer, Al-Shahrastani, called them "Kusaniyyah" and "Dusitaniyyah."

Abu al-Fatḥ wrote that the Samaritan Dositheans stopped celebrating the festivals from the Mosaic law. They also counted 30 days in every month without changing it. This is similar to the Sadducees, which further suggests a connection. The idea that they "abolished" festivals likely means they celebrated them on different days than the Jews.

Persecution and Decline

Under the Abbasid rulers, Samaritans sometimes persecuted the Dositheans. Even though Samaritans themselves faced difficulties, they still troubled the Dositheans.

During the time of a ruler named Ibrahim, the synagogue (place of worship) for both Samaritans and Dositheans in Nablus was burned. But it was later rebuilt. Later, a governor of Palestine named Yusuf ibn Dasi completely banned Dosithean worship. Because of this, the Dosithean group might have eventually joined with the main Samaritan community.

See also

• Mandaeans