John 4:19-26; Exodus 20:4-6 
 The Samaritans of the first century were a product of mixed marriages with foreigners, leaving them half-Jewish (or less). The religion of Samaria had held on to only the Torah proper, the first five books of Moses. This helps explain the distrust, hatred even, between the Jews and Samaritans. Unfortunately, the most direct route between Galilee and Judea was right through Samaria. Most Jews avoided this route, taking a much longer way through the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Judean wilderness, and finally up to Jerusalem. Jesus, however, was not “most Jews” and took his disciples right through Samaria, leading to this confrontation.