Jesus is on his own with a woman on his own at a well in Samaria.
Judea lies at the south of Samaria. Judea is where Jerusalem is. Galilee lies to the north of where Samaria is. Jesus spends most of his time in the north in Galilee but he did come to Jerusalem perhaps as many as 3 times. He had to pass through Samaria. The Samaritans did not like the Jews. The Jews did not like the Samaritans. There was theological opposition between these northerners and the Jews of the south because of the samaritans resistance to worshiping on Jerusalem. They had there place of worship at Mount Gerizim. The Jews had theres. Also, when the Jews returned from exile in 6th century BC 500 years before Jesus the Samaritans stood in the way. The resisted the restoration of Jerusalem. In the second century the Samaritans helped the Syria monarchs in their fight against the Jews. The Jews led by the high priest in 128 BC destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.
Is this unusual? Is this just religious people being nasty. I would say it is human beings being human. Conflict, Division, Hatred are endemic to the human condition. No one. No society has found a way beyond it. To set us free from such brokenness. From fallenness. We need to be redeemed.
