Editing Jewish diaspora (section)

====Modern Samaritans====
{{Main|Samaritans}}
The Samaritans, who comprised a comparatively large group in classical times, now number 745 people, and today they live in two communities in [[Israel]] and the [[West Bank]], and they still regard themselves as descendants of the tribes of Ephraim (named by them as ''Aphrime'') and Manasseh (named by them as ''Manatch''). Samaritans adhere to a version of the [[Torah]] known as the [[Samaritan Pentateuch]], which differs in some respects from the [[Masoretic text]], sometimes in important ways, and less so from the [[Septuagint]].

The Samaritans consider themselves ''Bnei Yisrael'' ("Children of Israel" or "Israelites"), but they do not regard themselves as ''Yehudim'' (Jews). They view the term "Jews" as a designation for followers of Judaism, which they assert is a related but an altered and amended religion which was brought back by the exiled Israelite returnees, and is therefore not the true religion of the ancient Israelites, which according to them is [[Samaritanism]].