“And these are the names of the children of Israel who were coming to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: The firstborn of Jacob, Reuben” (Genesis 46:8). “And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puva, and Yov, and Shimron” (Genesis 46:13). “And these are the names of the children of Israel who were coming to Egypt…. And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puva, and Yov, and Shimron” – Rabbi Meir saw a certain Samaritan.
Rabbi Meir said to him: ‘From where did you descend?’ He said to him: ‘From Joseph.’ Rabbi Meir said to him: ‘No.’ The Samaritan said to him: ‘But rather from whom?’ He said to him: ‘From Issachar.’
He said to him: ‘From where do you know?’ He said to him: ‘As it is written: “And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puva, and Yov, and Shimron” – these are the Samaritans.’ He went to the [Samaritan] patriarch. He said to him: ‘A Jewish elder said to me a certain matter and it is astonishing.’
He said to him: ‘What is it?’ He said to him: ‘He said to me: From where did you descend? I said to him: From Joseph. He said to me: No, from Issachar, as it is written: “And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puva, and Yov, and Shimron” – these are the Samaritans.’
He said to him: ‘As you live, from Joseph he removed you, but he has not brought you to be from Issachar.’16The Samaritans were not actually Jewish at all. Rabbi Meir’s intent was merely to undermine their claim to be descended from Joseph, but not to say that actually they had descended from Issachar (see Yefeh To’ar).