Samaria: City of

Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, holds a significant place in biblical history. It was established by King Omri around 880 BC, as recorded in 1 Kings 16:24: "He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, naming it Samaria after Shemer, the owner of the hill." The city became the political and cultural center of the Northern Kingdom, serving as the royal residence for several Israelite kings.

Strategically located on a hill, Samaria was well-fortified and became a symbol of the Northern Kingdom's strength and independence. The city's prominence is evident in its frequent mention throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the narratives concerning the divided monarchy. Samaria's significance is further underscored by its association with various prophets, including Elijah and Elisha, who ministered during the reigns of the kings of Israel.

Temple of

The religious practices in Samaria were marked by syncretism, as the city became a center for idolatrous worship. King Ahab, Omri's son, further entrenched this by marrying Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, and promoting the worship of Baal. This led to the construction of a temple dedicated to Baal in Samaria, as noted in 1 Kings 16:32: "He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria."

The presence of the Baal temple in Samaria was a direct violation of the covenantal laws given to Israel, which prohibited the worship of foreign gods. This apostasy provoked the ire of the prophets, particularly Elijah, who confronted Ahab and the prophets of Baal in a dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). The temple in Samaria thus became a focal point of the spiritual decline and moral corruption that characterized the Northern Kingdom.

Destroyed

The city of Samaria met its demise in 722 BC when it was besieged and captured by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V, and subsequently by Sargon II. This event marked the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as recorded in 2 Kings 17:5-6: "Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria."

The destruction of Samaria was a fulfillment of prophetic warnings given by prophets like Hosea and Amos, who had called the people to repentance and warned of impending judgment due to their idolatry and injustice. The fall of Samaria served as a divine judgment against the Northern Kingdom for its persistent rebellion against God and its failure to uphold the covenant.

In the aftermath, the Assyrians repopulated the region with people from various conquered territories, leading to the emergence of the Samaritans, a mixed population with a syncretistic form of worship. This historical and religious context set the stage for the tensions between Jews and Samaritans that are evident in the New Testament narratives.2 Kings 10:17-28
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.
Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 23:19
And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
Nave's Topical Index

Babylonia and Assyria
... His first achievement was the capture of Samaria. ... Sennacherib had caused ships to
be built at Nineveh ... rebuilt with lavish magnificence, the city was surrounded ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... it said; "let the city of Sihon be built and fortified. ... Moab was permanently lost
to the kingdom of Samaria. ... from which we learn that there was a city of Edom ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

Appendices
... tribute to Tiglath-pileser 738 Pekahiah 737 Pekah 736 Hoshea 733 or 729 Samaria
taken by ... 4. The city of Surippak, which, as thou knowest, is built [on the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... He built a flotilla at Shuru in Bit-Khalupi on ... This ancient city, seated on the banks
of the Euphrates ... Agusi, like Bit-Adini, Bit-Bakhiani, Bit-Omri, after the ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... Benhadad I.--- Omri and the foundation of Samaria: Ahab and the ... The walls of the
city fell of themselves at the ... took up his residence there, and built on the ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... turned into sailors at a day's notice, and the vessel built by him ... of the Lord,*
and he was master in his own city of Jerusalem or Samaria, but his ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... that was sent back from the captivity to Samaria to teach ... that is thrust out from
the holy city among the ... and of the household of God; and are built upon the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

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