When did the Samaritan and Jewish worship split begin?
The split in worship between Samaritans and Jews began with the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The Samaritan woman at the well pointed to her fathers worshiping on the mountain, while Jews said Jerusalem was the place to worship. This division goes back to that historical separation.
Les explains that to understand when the Samaritan and Jewish worship split began, you must go all the way back into Israel's history. He points to the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam as the origin of that separation. In John 4, the woman at the well said, 'Our fathers worshipped in this mountain,' while the Jews said Jerusalem was the place to worship. That contrast reflects the divided worship that began with that earlier national division.