Mount Gerizim and the Transmission of the Torah: A Critical Examination of the Samaritan and Masoretic Readings through the Dead Sea Scrolls, Inner-Textual Analysis, and Archaeological Evidence

What if one of the most significant differences between the Samaritan and Jewish traditions of the Torah preserves a much older and more complex history than previously assumed? This preliminary research study explores the historical, textual, and archaeological significance of Mount Gerizim in the transmission of the Pentateuch, focusing on one of the most intriguing textual disagreements in biblical studies: the difference between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal in Deuteronomy 27:4. Through a comparative examination of the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Masoretic Text, this study investigates the development of the Gerizim composition, the Samaritan version of the Ten Commandments, and the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the Qumran manuscript 4QpaleoExodᵐ. Drawing on modern scholarship, including research by Hila Dayfani and Michael Segal, the study explores whether the Gerizim tradition should be understood as a later Samaritan theological development or as part of a much older and more diverse textual history. It also considers archaeological discoveries on Mount Gerizim and the ongoing scholarly debate concerning the chronology of its ancient sanctuary. Rather than assuming that either the Samaritan or Masoretic tradition necessarily preserves the original reading in every instance, this study approaches the evidence through textual criticism, literary analysis, and historical comparison. Central question: Could the history of the Torah be more textually diverse, interconnected, and complex than traditional assumptions suggest? This is a preliminary research study intended to encourage further investigation, critical discussion, and scholarly examination.