Abu’l Fath, Kitab Al-Tarikh: The Samaritan View of their Origins (Stenhouse Trans. From Anderson: The Keepers)

A terrible civil war broke out between Eli son of Yafni, of the line of Ithamar, and the sons of Phineas, because Eli son Yafni resolved to usurp the High Priesthood from the descendents of Phineas. He used to offer sacrifice on the altar of stones. He was 50 years old, endowed with wealth and in charge of the treasury of the children of Israel…

He offered a sacrifice on the altar, but without salt, as if he were inattentive.

When the Great High Priest Ozzi learnt of this, and found that the sacrifice was not accepted, he thoroughly disowned him; and it is (even) said that he rebuked him.

Thereupon he and the group that sympathized with him, rose in revolt and at once he and his followers and his beasts set off for Shiloh.

Thus Israel split into factions.

He sent to their leaders saying to them, “anyone who would like to see wonderful things, let him come to me.” Then he assembled a large group around him in Shiloh, and built a Temple for himself there; he constructed a place like the Temple. He built an altar, omitting no detail –it all corresponded to the original, piece by piece.

Now, he had two sons, Hophni and Phineas, who rounded up young women of attractive appearance and brought them to the Tabernacle which had been built by his father. They let them savor the food of the sacrifice, and had intercourse with them inside the Tabernacle.

At this time the children of Israel became three factions-

A (loyal) faction on Mount Gerizim; a heretical faction that followed false gods; and the faction that followed Eli son of Yafni in Shiloh.