Where is Samaria located in the Bible?

Samaria was the central region of ancient Israel, located between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south. Its capital city, also called Samaria, was built by King Omri (1 Kings 16:24). Today, the region is part of the modern state of Israel.

What is the story of the Samaritans in the Bible?

The Samaritans were a mixed people, descended from Israelites who intermarried with foreigners after the Assyrian conquest (2 Kings 17:24). Jews and Samaritans had a long history of hostility, which is why Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and his conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:1-42) were so revolutionary.

Why is Samaria significant in the New Testament?

Samaria is significant as the place where the gospel first spread beyond the Jewish people. After Pentecost, Philip preached there with great success, and Peter and John followed to minister, fulfilling Jesus' command to be witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria" (Acts 1:8, Acts 8:5-25).

Samaria

regionNew TestamentSamaria13 verses

Country IsraelCoordinates 32.276, 35.195

Samaria is a region mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. It appears across 13 verses in Scripture.

Jesus's Ministry · Stop 12 Open the Biblical Atlas

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Biblical History

Samaria as a region features prominently in the New Testament as the homeland of the Samaritans, a people of mixed Israelite and Gentile heritage who maintained their own form of Yahweh worship centered on Mount Gerizim. Jesus broke social conventions by traveling through Samaria and engaging the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (John 4:1-42), revealing Himself as the Messiah and sparking widespread belief in a Samaritan village. In His Great Commission, Jesus specifically named Samaria as a mission field: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This mandate was fulfilled when Philip the evangelist preached in Samaria with remarkable success, performing signs and leading many to faith (Acts 8:4-8). Peter and John later came to confirm the Samaritan believers' reception of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) further challenged Jewish prejudice. Samaria thus represents a crucial theological bridge in Scripture between the Jewish mission and the universal gospel for all nations.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

The region of Samaria occupies the central hill country of Israel between Judea to the south and Galilee to the north, corresponding roughly to the modern West Bank. Key archaeological sites include ancient Shechem (Tell Balata), where a Samaritan temple once stood on Mount Gerizim, and Sebaste (the Hellenistic-Roman city built over ancient Samaria). Excavations on Mount Gerizim have revealed remains of the Samaritan temple destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 128 BC. The small Samaritan community that survives today, numbering approximately 800, still worships on Mount Gerizim and preserves ancient traditions. Excavations at Jacob's Well in Nablus confirm the traditional site associated with Jesus's encounter in John 4.

Verse Appearances (13)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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