Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms • Resources Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary SamariaSmith's Bible Dictionary Samaria(watch mountain). This city is situated 30 miles north of Jerusalem and about six miles to the northwest of Shechem, in a wide basin-shaped valley, six miles in diameter, encircled with high hills, almost on the edge of the great plain which borders upon the Mediterranean. In the centre of this basin, which is on a lower level than the valley of Shechem, rises a less elevated hill, with steep yet accessible sides and a long fiat top. This hill was chosen by Omri as the site of the capital of the kingdom of Israel. He "bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of the owner of the hill, Samaria." (1 Kings 16:23,24) From the that of Omri's purchase, B.C. 925, Samaria retained its dignity as the capital of the ten tribes, and the name is given to the northern kingdom as well as to the city. Ahab built a temple to Baal there. (1 Kings 16:32,33) It was twice besieged by the Syrians, in B.C. 901, (1 Kings 20:1) and in B.C. 892, (2 Kings 6:24-7; 2 Kings 6:20) but on both occasions the siege was ineffectual. The possessor of Samaria was considered Deuteronomy facto king of Israel. (2 Kings 15:13,14) In B.C. 721 Samaria was taken, after a siege of three years, by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, (2 Kings 18:9,10) and the kingdom of the ten tribes was put an end to. Some years afterward the district of which Samaria was the centre was repeopled by Esarhaddon. Alexander the Great took the city, killed a large portion of the inhabitants, and suffered the remainder to set it at Shechem. He replaced them by a colony of Syro-Macedonians who occupied the city until the time of John Hyrcanus, who took it after a year's siege, and did his best to demolish it entirely. (B.C. 109.) It was rebuilt and greatly embellished by Herod the Great. He called it Sebaste=Augusta , after the name of his patron, Augustus Caesar. The wall around it was 2 1/2 miles long, and in the centre of the city was a park 900 feet square containing a magnificent temple dedicated to Caesar. In the New Testament the city itself does not appear to be mentioned; but rather a portion of the district to which, even in older times it had extended its name. (Matthew 10:5; John 4:4,5) At this clay the city is represented by a small village retaining few vestiges of the past except its name, Sebustiyeh , an Arabic corruption of Sebaste. Some architectural remains it has, partly of Christian construction or adaptation, as the ruined church of St. John the Baptist, partly, perhaps, traces of Idumaean magnificence, St. Jerome, whose acquaintance with Palestine imparts a sort of probability to the tradition which prevailed so strongly in later days, asserts that Sebaste, which he invariably identifies with Samaria was the place in which St. John the Baptist was imprisoned and suffered death. He also makes it the burial-place of the prophets Elisha and Obadiah. ATS Bible Dictionary Samaria1. One of the three divisions of the Holy Land in the time of our Savior, having Galilee on the north and Judea on the south, the Jordan on the east and the Mediterranean on the west, and occupying parts of the territory assigned at first to Ephraim, Mahasseh, and Issachar, Luke 17:11 John 4:4. It is described as having its hills less bare than those of Judea, and its valleys and plains more cultivated and fruitful. See CANAAN. Many gospel churches were early planted here, Acts 8:1,25 9:31 15:3. 2. A city situated near the middle of Palestine, some six miles northwest of Shechem. It was built by Omri king of Israel, about 920 B. C., and named after Shemer the previous owner of the mountain or hill on which the city stood, 1Ki 16...23,24. It became the favorite residence of the kings of Israel, instead of Shechem and Thirzah the former capitals. It was highly adorned with public buildings. Ahab built there a palace of ivory, 1 Kings 22:39, and also a temple of Baal, 1 Kings 16:32,33, which Jehu destroyed, 2 Kings 10:18-28. The prophets often denounced it for its idolatry, Isaiah 9:9 Ezekiel 16:46-63. It was twice besieged by the Syrians, 1 Kings 20:1-43 2 Kings 6:24 7:1-20. At length Shalmanezer king of Assyria captured and destroyed the city, and removed the people of the land, B. C. 720, 2 Kings 17:3-6 Hosea 10:5-7 Micah 1:1-6. See OMRI. The city was in part rebuilt by Cuthits imported from beyond the Tigris, but was again nearly destroyed by John Hyrcanus. The Roman proconsul Gabinius once more restored it and calling it Gabinia; and it was afterwards given by Augustus to Herod the Great, who enlarged and adorned it, and gave it the name of Sebaste, the Greek translation of the Latin word Augusta, in honor of the emperor. He placed in it a colony of six thousand persons, surrounded it with a strong wall, and built a magnificent temple in honor of Augustus. Early in the apostolic age it was favored by the successful labors of Philip and others, Ac 8...5-25; and the church then formed continued in existence several centuries, till the city of Herod was destroyed. Sebaste was afterwards revived, and is mentioned in the histories of the Crusades. It is now an inconsiderable village, called Sebustieh, with a few cottages built of stones from the ancient ruins. The following is the account of the modern city, as given by Richardson: "Its situation is extremely beautiful and strong by nature; more so, I think, than Jerusalem. It stands on a fine large insulated hill, compassed all round by a broad, deep valley; and when fortified, as it is stated to have been by Herod, one would imagine that in the ancient system of warfare nothing but famine would have reduced such a place. The valley is surrounded by four hills, one on each side, which are cultivated in terraces to the top, sown with grain and planted with fig and olive trees, as is also the valley. The hill of Samaria rises in terraces to a height equal to any of the adjoining mountains." "The present village is small and poor, and after passing the valley, the ascent to it is very steep; but viewed from the station of our tents, it is extremely interesting, both from its natural situation and from the picturesque remains of a ruined convent of good Gothic architecture." "Having passed the village, towards the middle of the first terrace there is a number of columns still standing. I counted twelve in one row, besides several that stood apart, the brotherless remains of other rows. The situation is extremely delightful, and my guide informed me that they belonged to the serai or palace. On the next terrace there are no remains of solid building, but heaps of stones and lime, and rubbish mixed with the soil in great profusion. Ascending to the third or highest terrace, the traces of former buildings were not so numerous, but we enjoyed a delightful view of the surrounding country. The eye passed over the deep valley that compassed the hill of Sebaste, and rested on the mountains beyond, that retreated as they rose with a gentle slope, and met the view in every direction, like a book laid out for perusal on a writingdesk." Easton's Bible Dictionary A watch-mountain or a watch-tower. In the heart of the mountains of Israel, a few miles north-west of Shechem, stands the "hill of Shomeron," a solitary mountain, a great "mamelon." It is an oblong hill, with steep but not inaccessible sides, and a long flat top. Omri, the king of Israel, purchased this hill from Shemer its owner for two talents of silver, and built on its broad summit the city to which he gave the name of "Shomeron", i.e., Samaria, as the new capital of his kingdom instead of Tirzah (1 Kings 16:24). As such it possessed many advantages. Here Omri resided during the last six years of his reign. As the result of an unsuccessful war with Syria, he appears to have been obliged to grant to the Syrians the right to "make streets in Samaria", i.e., probably permission to the Syrian merchants to carry on their trade in the Israelite capital. This would imply the existence of a considerable Syrian population. "It was the only great city of Palestine created by the sovereign. All the others had been already consecrated by patriarchal tradition or previous possession. But Samaria was the choice of Omri alone. He, indeed, gave to the city which he had built the name of its former owner, but its especial connection with himself as its founder is proved by the designation which it seems Samaria bears in Assyrian inscriptions, Beth-khumri (`the house or palace of Omri').", Stanley.Samaria was frequently besieged. In the days of Ahab, Benhadad II. came up against it with thirty-two vassal kings, but was defeated with a great slaughter (1 Kings 20:1-21). A second time, next year, he assailed it; but was again utterly routed, and was compelled to surrender to Ahab (20:28-34), whose army, as compared with that of Benhadad, was no more than "two little flocks of kids." In the days of Jehoram this Benhadad again laid siege to Samaria, during which the city was reduced to the direst extremities. But just when success seemed to be within their reach, they suddenly broke up the seige, alarmed by a mysterious noise of chariots and horses and a great army, and fled, leaving their camp with all its contents behind them. The famishing inhabitants of the city were soon relieved with the abundance of the spoil of the Syrian camp; and it came to pass, according to the word of Elisha, that "a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barely for a shekel, in the gates of Samaria" (2 Kings 7:1-20). Shalmaneser invaded Israel in the days of Hoshea, and reduced it to vassalage. He laid siege to Samaria (B.C. 723), which held out for three years, and was at length captured by Sargon, who completed the conquest Shalmaneser had begun (2 Kings 18:9-12; 17:3), and removed vast numbers of the tribes into captivity. (see SARGON.) This city, after passing through various vicissitudes, was given by the emperor Augustus to Herod the Great, who rebuilt it, and called it Sebaste (Gr. form of Augustus) in honour of the emperor. In the New Testament the only mention of it is in Acts 8:5-14, where it is recorded that Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached there. It is now represented by the hamlet of Sebustieh, containing about three hundred inhabitants. The ruins of the ancient town are all scattered over the hill, down the sides of which they have rolled. The shafts of about one hundred of what must have been grand Corinthian columns are still standing, and attract much attention, although nothing definite is known regarding them. (Comp. Micah 1:6.) In the time of Christ, Western Palestine was divided into three provinces, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Samaria occupied the centre of Palestine (John 4:4). It is called in the Talmud the "land of the Cuthim," and is not regarded as a part of the Holy Land at all. It may be noticed that the distance between Samaria and Jerusalem, the respective capitals of the two kingdoms, is only 35 miles in a direct line. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia SAMARIA, CITY OFsa-ma'-ri-a, (shomeron; Samareia, Semeron, and other forms): SAMARIA, COUNTRY OF (shomeron; he Samareitis chora): The name of the city was transferred to the country of which it was the capital, so that Samaria became synonymous with the Northern Kingdom (1 Kings 13:32 Jeremiah 31:5, etc.). The extent of territory covered by this appellation varied greatly at different periods. At first it included the land held by Israel East of the Jordan, Galilee and Mt. Ephraim, with the northern part of Benjamin. It was shorn of the eastern portion by the conquest of Tiglath-pileser (1 Chronicles 5:26). Judah probably soon absorbed the territory of Dan in the Samaria. In New Testament times Samaria had shrunk to still smaller dimensions. Then the country West of the Jordan was divided into three portions: Judea in the South, Galilee in the North, and Samaria in the middle. The boundaries are given in general terms by Josephus (BJ, III, iii, 1, 4, 5). The southern edge of the Plain of Esdraelon and the lands of Scythopolis, the city of the Decapolis West of the Jordan, formed the northern boundary. It reached South as far as the toparchy of Acrabatta (modern `Aqrabeh), while on the border between Samaria and Judea lay the villages of Annath and Borceos, the modern Khirbet `Aina and Berqit, about 15 miles South of Nablus. The Jordan of course formed the eastern boundary. On the West the coast plain as far as Acre belonged to Judea. The country thus indicated was much more open to approach than the high plateau of Judah with its steep rocky edges and difficult passes. The road from the North indeed was comparatively easy of defense, following pretty closely the line of the watershed. But the gradual descent of the land to the West with long, wide valleys, offered inviting avenues from the plain. The great trade routes, that to the fords of Jordan and the East, passing through the cleft in the mountains at Shechem, and those connecting Egypt with the North and the Northeast, traversed Samarian territory, and brought her into constant intercourse with surrounding peoples. The influence of the heathen religions to which she was thus exposed made a swift impression upon her, leading to the corruptions of faith and life that heralded her doom (Jeremiah 23:13 Hosea 7:1, etc.). The Assyrians came as the scourge of God (2 Kings 17:5-23). Their attack centered on the capital. Shalmaneser began the siege, and after three years the city fell to Sargon II, his successor. With the fall of Samaria the kingdom came to an end. Following the usual Assyrian policy, great numbers of the inhabitants were deported from the conquered country, and their places taken by men brought from "Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim," cities which had already bowed to the Assyrian power (2 Kings 17:24). Greek 4540. Samareia -- Samaria, the name of both a city and a region in ... ... Samaria, the name of both a city and a region in Palestine. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Samareia Phonetic Spelling: (sam-ar'-i-ah) Short ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4540.htm - 6k 4542. Samaritis -- (the region of) Samaria, a Samaritan woman 4541. Samarites -- a Samaritan, an inhabitant of the region of ... 4965. Suchar -- Sychar, a city in Samaria 745. Archelaos -- "people-ruling," Archelaus, a son of Herod the ... 4966. Suchem -- Shechem, a city in Samaria 2446. Iordanes -- the Jordan, the largest river of Pal. 4892. sunedrion -- a sitting together, hence a council, spec. the ... Strong's Hebrew 8118. Shomeroni -- inhab. of Samaria... inhab. of Samaria. Transliteration: Shomeroni Phonetic Spelling: (sho-mer-o-nee') Short Definition: Samaria. ... of Samaria NASB Word Usage people of Samaria (1). ... /hebrew/8118.htm - 6k 170. Oholah -- "she who has a tent," a symbolic name for Samaria 1886. Dothan -- a place North of Samaria 8111. Shomron -- capital of N. kingdom of Isr. 8115. Shomrayin -- capital of N. kingdom of Isr. 1723. dahava -- that is. 5571. Sanballat -- a Samaritan leader Library The Woman of Samaria. Samaria. Sychem. The Gospel in Samaria The Kingdom of Samaria. The Woman of Samaria The Woman of Samaria. Jn 4:28 A Description Op Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. After the Terrible Siege of Samaria was Ended in Accordance with ... How Shalmaneser Took Samaria by Force and How He Transplanted the ... In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and ... Thesaurus Samaria (123 Occurrences)... this hill from Shemer its owner for two talents of silver, and built on its broad summit the city to which he gave the name of "Shomeron", ie, Samaria, as the ... /s/samaria.htm - 63k Reigneth (54 Occurrences) Pekah (11 Occurrences) Shallum (27 Occurrences) Besieged (34 Occurrences) Cuthah (2 Occurrences) Shunem (3 Occurrences) Shemer (4 Occurrences) Sychar (1 Occurrence) Ben-ha'dad (26 Occurrences) Resources What is a Samaritan? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Assyria in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Samaria (123 Occurrences)Matthew 10:5 Luke 9:52 Luke 10:33 Luke 17:11 Luke 17:16 John 4:4 John 4:5 John 4:7 John 4:9 John 8:48 Acts 1:8 Acts 8:1 Acts 8:5 Acts 8:9 Acts 8:14 Acts 8:25 Acts 9:31 Acts 15:3 1 Kings 13:32 1 Kings 16:24 1 Kings 16:28 1 Kings 16:29 1 Kings 16:32 1 Kings 18:2 1 Kings 20:1 1 Kings 20:10 1 Kings 20:17 1 Kings 20:34 1 Kings 20:43 1 Kings 21:1 1 Kings 21:18 1 Kings 22:10 1 Kings 22:37 1 Kings 22:38 1 Kings 22:51 2 Kings 1:2 2 Kings 1:3 2 Kings 2:25 2 Kings 3:1 2 Kings 3:6 2 Kings 5:3 2 Kings 6:19 2 Kings 6:20 2 Kings 6:24 2 Kings 6:25 2 Kings 7:1 2 Kings 7:18 2 Kings 10:1 2 Kings 10:12 2 Kings 10:17 2 Kings 10:35 2 Kings 10:36 2 Kings 13:1 2 Kings 13:6 2 Kings 13:9 2 Kings 13:10 2 Kings 13:13 2 Kings 14:14 2 Kings 14:16 2 Kings 14:23 2 Kings 15:8 2 Kings 15:13 2 Kings 15:14 2 Kings 15:17 2 Kings 15:23 2 Kings 15:25 2 Kings 15:27 2 Kings 17:1 2 Kings 17:5 2 Kings 17:6 2 Kings 17:24 2 Kings 17:26 2 Kings 17:27 2 Kings 17:28 2 Kings 17:29 2 Kings 18:9 2 Kings 18:10 2 Kings 18:34 2 Kings 21:13 2 Kings 23:18 2 Kings 23:19 2 Chronicles 18:2 2 Chronicles 18:9 2 Chronicles 22:9 2 Chronicles 25:13 2 Chronicles 25:24 2 Chronicles 28:8 2 Chronicles 28:9 2 Chronicles 28:15 Ezra 4:10 Ezra 4:17 Nehemiah 4:2 Isaiah 7:9 Isaiah 8:4 Isaiah 9:9 Isaiah 10:9 Isaiah 10:10 Isaiah 10:11 Isaiah 36:19 Jeremiah 23:13 Subtopics Ancient Samaria: A Mountainous Country Ancient Samaria: had Many Cities Ancient Samaria: Inhabitants of, Carried Captive to Assyria Ancient Samaria: People of Characterised as Corrupt and Wicked Ancient Samaria: People of Characterised as Idolatrous Ancient Samaria: People of Characterised as Proud and Arrogant Ancient Samaria: Predictions Respecting Its Destruction Ancient Samaria: Repeopled from Assyria Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Besieged Again by Benhadad Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Besieged and Taken by Shalmaneser Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Besieged by Benhadad Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Built by Omri King of Israel Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Called After Shemer the Owner of the Hill on Which It Was Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Called the Head of Ephraim Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Called the Mountain of Samaria Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Deliverance of, Effected Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Deliverance of, Predicted Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Delivered by Miraculous Means Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Elisha Predicted Plenty In Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Kings of Israel Sometime Took Their Titles From Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Remarkable Plenty In, As Foretold by Elisha Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Suffered Severely from Famine Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of The Burial Place of the Kings of Israel Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of The Pool of Samaria Near To Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of The Prophet Elisha Dwelt In Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of The Residence of the Kings of Israel Ancient Samaria: Samaria the Capital of Was a Fenced City, and Well Provided With Arms Ancient Samaria: The Territory of Ephraim and Manasseh Properly So Called Ancient Samaria: The Whole Kingdom of Israel Sometimes Called Modern Samaria: Christ After his Resurrection Commanded the Gospel to Be Modern Samaria: Christ at First Forbade his Disciples to Visit Modern Samaria: Christ Preached In Modern Samaria: Cities of, Mentioned in Scripture: Antipatris Modern Samaria: Cities of, Mentioned in Scripture: Samaria Modern Samaria: Cities of, Mentioned in Scripture: Sychar Modern Samaria: had Many Cities Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Abhorred by the Jews Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Boasted Descent from Jacob Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Expected the Messiah Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of had No Intercourse or Dealings With the Jews Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of More Humane and Grateful than the Jews Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Opposed the Jews After Their Return from Captivity Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Professed to Worship God Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Ready to Hear and Embrace the Gospel Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Their Religion Mixed With Idolatry Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Their True Descent Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Were Superstitious Modern Samaria: Inhabitants of Worshipped on Mount Gerizim Modern Samaria: Many Christian Churches In Modern Samaria: Situated Between Judea and Galilee Modern Samaria: The Gospel First Preached In, by Philip Modern Samaria: The Persecuted Christians Fled To Samaria: City of, Built by Omri Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Besieged by Ben-Hadad Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Besieged by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, for Three Years Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Capitol of the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Idolatry of Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Paul and Barnabas Preach In Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Temple of, Destroyed Samaria: City of, Built by Omri: Visited by Philip, Peter, and John Samaria: Country of: Disciples Made from the Inhabitants of Samaria: Country of: Foreign Colonies Distributed Among the Cities of, by the King of Assyria Samaria: Country of: Jesus Forbids the Apostles to Preach in the Cities of Samaria: Country of: Jesus Heals Lepers In Samaria: Country of: Jesus Travels Through Samaria: Country of: No Dealings Between the Jews and the Inhabitants of Samaria: Country of: Roads Through, from Judaea Into Galilee Samaria: Country of: Samaritans Were Expecting the Messiah Samaria: Country of: The Good Samaritan From Samaria: The King of Syria is Led Into, by Elisha, Who Miraculously Blinds Him and his Army Related Terms |