Samaria
Summary
The capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, founded by King Omri, and later the name for the central region of Palestine between Galilee and Judea.
☩Foundation and Location
Samaria was founded by Omri, king of Israel, who purchased the hill from Shemer for two talents of silver and named the city after its previous owner. The site occupied a commanding position on a hill rising 300-400 feet above a fertile valley, providing excellent natural defenses. Omri moved the capital there from Tirzah, establishing what would remain the seat of Israelite government until the Assyrian conquest.
☩The Capital of Israel
Under Ahab, Samaria reached the height of its splendor, featuring an ivory palace that became proverbial for luxury. The city witnessed the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and later Elisha's ministry. Samaria endured several sieges, including the famous famine during Ben-hadad's siege when women resorted to cannibalism. The city fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC after a three-year siege under Shalmaneser V and his successor Sargon II.
☩Samaritans and Later History
After the Assyrian conquest, foreign colonists were settled in the region, creating a mixed population that developed distinctive religious practices combining elements of Israelite worship with pagan customs. This population became known as Samaritans, despised by returning Jewish exiles and by Jews of Jesus' day. The Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim and accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture. Jews traveling between Galilee and Judea typically avoided passing through Samaria, though Jesus deliberately journeyed there.
☩New Testament Period
Jesus' ministry included significant encounters with Samaritans, most notably the woman at the well in Sychar. He used a Samaritan as the hero of one of His most famous parables, challenging Jewish prejudice. After Pentecost, Philip the evangelist brought the gospel to Samaria with great success, and Peter and John came to confirm the new believers. The early church's expansion to Samaria fulfilled Jesus' command to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Related Verses122 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Samaria," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Samaria," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Samaria," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Samaria," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 5.James Hastings (ed.), "Samaria," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).