During the period of the restoration, these Samaritans came to be known as "the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin." Hearing that "the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel," "they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers," and expressed a desire to unite with them in its erection. "Let us build with you," they proposed; "for we seek your God, as ye do; 568 and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither." But the privilege they asked was refused them. "Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God," the leaders of the Israelites declared; "but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us." Ezra 4:1-3.

Samaritanerne boede ikke ret langt fra de israelitter, som havde påtaget sig at genopbygge templet. Det var et blandingsfolk, som var opstået ved ægteskab mellem hedenske tilflyttere fra de assyriske provinser og rester af de ti stammer, som var blevet efterladt i Samaria og Galilæa. Samaritanerne havde i en årrække hævdet, at de tjente den sande Gud, men i hjertet var de afgudsdyrkere; dette viste deres levned. De påstod ganske vist, at deres afguder blot tjente til at minde dem om den levende Gud, universets konge, men de havde ikke desto mindre hang til at tilbede udskårne billeder.