Samaria

1. d'nct!', that is, ShomMn, ' watch- mountain ' ; ^afidpeia, ^enepijjv, ^o/xepuiv, 'Zop.tjpujv, 'Zoip.oiplliv ; Jos. (Ant. VIII. xii. 5), liniiapelv ; Euseb. (Onom.), ^e/iTipuv ; Samaria) The capital of tlie kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian, Samirina (Ins. of Tiglatli, pileser III., Sargon, etc.), and the <ireek and Latin forms of tlie name, come from the Aramaic in^y. A characteristic derivation of the name is given, in 1 K 16^ (KV, cf. Jos. Ant. VIII. xii. 5), where we are told that Samaria was built by Oinri who bought the ' hill of Samaria ' from Snemer, and, having fortified it, called the name of the city that he built Shomer6n (Samaria) after Shemer. (See discussion of etymology by Stade in ZATWv. lG.51f.) Commanding the roads from Shechera northwards to Esdraelon, and westwards to the coast, and situated within easy reach of the Mediterranean, no better sile could have been selected for the fortified cipital of the Northern kingdom. Tlie hill ('mountain of Samaria' Am 4' 6', Sir 50^) rises from 300 to 400 feet above the bed of a broad fertile valley (perhaps the ' field of Samaria' Ob " KV), and is isolated on all sides but the east, where it is connected with the hills (' mountains of Samaria' Am 3', Jer 31°) by a low narrow saddle. On three sides it is surrounded and overlooked by hills clothed with olive and vine, but they are beyond the range of catapult and bow, and so were not a source of danger. On the fourth side the hill.s are low, and the view over them to tlie west, with the blue waters of the Mediterranean in the distance, is one of exceptional beauty. This charm of position, in a ricli 'fat' vallej', bordered by vine-clad hills, formed part of that ' glorious beauty ' which made Samaria the ' crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim' (Is 28'"). From the 7th year of Orari, Samaria was the capital ('the head of Ephraim ' Is 7", ' Samaria and her daughters 'Ezk 16°), and residence of the kings of Israel (1 K IG-" 20^211-18 22", 2 K 1" 3'-» 10»« IS'-i" 1414.13 i5». 13.14.17.23. 27 171^ jg 78 iQS, H08 10'); and it was also their burial-place (1 K 16=" 22", 2 K Iff" J3». a 1418). Samaria is on this account mentioned with or compared with the capital of the Southern kingdom (2 K 21", Is 10'"-", Kzk 16°' 2,3, Am 6', Mic l''°), which was to sh.-ire its fate. Ezekiel calls it 'the sister' (16°° 23^), and the ' eldei sister' of Jerus. (16"). The city was surrounded with strong walls (Ant. VIII. xiv. I), and beautified by the kings of Israel. There w.as a fortified palace, ' the castle of the king's house ' (2 K 15 IIV), with a 'roof -chamber' (2 K 1'-). Tliis probably stood on the top of the hill, and near or connected with it may have been the ivory palace built by Ahab (1 K 22). There was a Syrian (juarter in Samaria (1 K 20«) ; and a city gate (1 K 22'", 2 K 71. 18. 2o_ 2 Ch 18') and pool (1 K 22^«) are mentioned. At Samaria, Ahab received a visit from Jehosha- phat, and, at the entrance of the gate, the two kings sat to hear the propliecy of Micaiah (1 K 22'", 2 Ch 18^- »). There the 70 sons of Ahab were slam (2 K 10'-'); there Jehu destroyed all that remained unto Ahab (2 K 10'^- ") ; and there, according to one account (2 Ch 22', cf. 2 K O-"), Aliaziah was killed. It was to Samaria that Joash, after the capture of Jems., brought the vessels for the service of the temple, and the treasures of the king's house (2 K 14', 2 Ch 25^) ; and that Pekah, at least according to 2 Ch 28- "• '°, returned at the head of his army, laden with the spoil of Judah, and accompanied by a long train of captive Jews, who were afterwards released. Samaria became the religious as well as the political centre of the Northern kingdom. The marriage of Ahab with Jezebel, and the consequent close alliance between the usurping dynasties of Israel and Phoenicia, led to the establisliment of the Phcenician worship on a large scale in the capital. Aliab caused a temple and altar to be erected to Baal (1 K 16-; Ant. IX. vi. 6), and made the Asherah (1 K 16^, 2 K 13" RV). The temple, which was probably of great size, contained ' pillars of Baal,' apparently of wood, which were torn down and burned, and a ' pillar of Baal,' pos- sibly a stone pillar with an efhgy of the god on one of its faces, which was broken down when Jeliu destroyed the tem])le after slaughtering the prophets of Baal (2 K 3= 10='- ^-■•" [in v.'^ read prob. with Klost. t;^ adytum for Ty 'city']). Tlie Phoe- nician rites were celebrated with great splendour, and Jezebel, who had slain tlie propliets of the Lord (1 K 18'), fed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah at her table (1 K 18'» RV). The idolatrous worship was strongly opposed by the prophets of J", some of whom worked and preached in the city. Elisha had a fixed residence in it (2 K 2^ 5 6-, cf. v."), and Hosea probably pro- phesied there. Isaiah (10'-" 36'») alludes to the idols, graven images, and gods of Samaria ; Hosea (7' 8°-' 10°), to its wickedness, and to the calf- worship which existed side by side with the worship of Baal ; Amos (8'), to its sin ; and Isaiah (S 0"), Hosea (13'"), Amos (3'2), Micah (1«) foretell the penalties that it would have to suU'er for the sins of its people. Jeremiah (23') mentions the pro- phets of Baal, and Ezekiel (23') can find no tittei symbol for the city than Oholah the harlot. Soon after Samaria was built, it was probably besieged by Benhadad I., who forced Omri to make 'streets' in the city for the Syrians (1 K 20*). During Ahab's reign it successfully resisted a siege by Benhadad U. (1 K 20'-='; Ant. VIII. xiv. 1,2). In the reign of Jelioram, after a minor exi)editioD had been thwarted by Elisha (2 K 6"'-»'; Ant. IX iv. 3), the city was again besieged by Benhadad. On this occasion the garrison and townsmen were reduced to the last extremity (2 K 6-'-'- ^), when a panic seized the Syrian army and the siege waa raised (2 K 7'"- ; Ant. IX. iv. 4, 5). In the 7th year of Hoshea, Samaria was besieged by Shalmaneser, but it was actually taken, B.C. 722, by his succes- SAMARIA SAMARIA, TERRITORY OF 375 sor Sargon after the siege had lasted three years (2 K 17'-" 188- '"• ■", cf. 21" ; Ant. IX. xiv. 1 ; Inscrip- tions of Snrgon). The Norihern kingdom fell with its capital, and the people were transplanted hy the conqueror ; hut the city was not completely destroyed (Jer 41^). Two jears later it rose, in alliance with Ilaniath, Arpad, and Damascus, against the Assjrians : but the rising collapsed on the overthrow of the king of Hamath (see Insrrip- tiuns). The transplanted Jews were replaced by foreign colonists (2 K 17*, Ezr 4'°) under Assyrian governors, of one of whom the name, Nabu-achi-su, has been |)reserved (III. Kawlinson, 34, col. ii. 'J4 f.). In B.C. 331 Samaria submitted to Alexander, who killed many of its inhabitants, and replaced tliem by Macedonian colonists. Later it was dismantled by Ptolemy Lagi, afterwards rebuilt, and again destroyed by Demetrius Poliorcetes. The walls must soon have been re.stored, for it was a ' very strong city' when taken by John Hyrcanus, B.C. 120, after a year's siege {Ant. XIII. x. 2, 3; BJ 1. ii. 7). Hyrcanus is said to have completely destroyed the city by ' bringing streams to drown it'; but this can refer only to that portion of it which lay at the foot of the hill. Samaria was rebuilt by Pompev, who made it a free city, and attached it to tlie government of Syria {Ant. XIV. iv. 4 ; BJ I. vii. 7) ; and it was further restored and strengthened by Gabinius {Ant. Xiv. V. 3 ; BJ I. viii. 4). Herod, in pursuance of his commercial policy, which was based on intercourse with the West, and of his plan of covering the country with strongholds garrisoned by Gentile soldiers devoted to his interests, made Samaria a strong fortress. He embellished it, built a temple of great size and magnificence, and settled it with veterans from his army and people from the neighbourhood (Ant. XV. viii. 5; BJ I. x.vi. 2). The city, which is .said at this time to have had a circumference of 2J miles, was re-named Sebaste ( .\ugu8ta) in honour of Augustus, who had given it to Herod {Ant. XV. vii. 3) ; and this name has survived in the modem Sebustich. At Samaria Herod entertained Agrippa ; there he killed his wife Mariamne, and there also he strangled his sons {Ant. XV. vii. 5-7, XVI. ii. 1, xi. 7). During the Jewish revolt, Samaria and Herod's soldiers, called Sehastencx, went over to the Homans {Ant. XVII. X. 3, 9 ; BJ II. iii. 4, iv. 3, xii. 5). Many authorities suppose that the gospel was preached in Samaria (Ac 8°- °- ") ; but it is possible th.at some town in the district of Samaria, of which the name is not specihed, is intended (note the absence in V.' of the def. art. in some MSS). Septimius Severus made Samaria a Colonia, but it rapidly declined as Shechem (Neapolis) rose to importance, and in the 4th cent, it was already a small town (Euseb. Onom.). It was an Episcopal see, and its bishops attended the Councils of Mcwa, Constan- tinople, and Chalcedon, and the S3'nod of .lerusalcra (A.D. .jnO). According to Jerome it was the burial- place of Klisha, Obadiah, and St. John the Baptist iEj). ad Marccllnm, Com. ad Obad.), and their tombs were shown to pilgrims in the Middle Ages. The Crusaders established a Latin bishopric in Samaria. The modem village of Srhuntinh lies at the E. end of the terraced hill of S.imaria, which is now partially cultivated and in places covered with olive groves. The old city wall can be traced for most of its course, following irregularly the con- tour of the hill, and there are remains of the west pate. I'rom this gate a street 50 ft. wide, and lined with columns, of which many still stand, ran along the S. side of the hill to a gate on tho E., which has disappeared. To the W. of tho village are the columns of a largo buried tcmjilo ; towards the S.W. the columns of a smaller temple ; and in a hollow at the foot of the N.E. side of the hill are several shafts of columns that formed part of a quadrangle, perhai)s a hippodrome, 622 ft. long and 190 ft. wide. Close to the site of the E. gate are the ruins of the line cathedral chiuch of St. John, built between A.D. 1150 and 1180, over the traditional tomb of St. Jojin the Baptist. In the neighbourhood of the village are two fine .springs, ' Ain lltlrim and 'Ain Kefr Rinnn, from which small streams How for a short distance. These streams are, apparently, those utilized by Hyrcanus to undermine the lower portion of tho city. (Stanley, S. and P. 243-240 ; G. A. Smith, ffOITLpf. 346-349; PEF Mem. ii. 160, 211-215; Gu^rin, Samarie, ii. 188, etc.). 2. Samaria (r; "Zaiiipaa ; Samaria) mentioned in 1 Mac 5"" cannot be the well-known Samaria, and is apparently an error. The place intended seems to be Marisa (Marishah, now Kh. Mer'ash near Beit Jibrin), a reading found in an ancient Latin version. See Josephus, Ant. Xll. viii. 6, and 2 Mac 12»». C. W. Wilson. SAMARIA, Territory of (■^ Sa/iapetTis xi^po; Xafuipeia, —afiapia ; .Jos. x^P"' Sa/iap^wi/ ; Sanuiria). — At an early period the name of the city was applied to the kingdom of the ten tribes, and as the limits of that kingdom varied (2 K lO^, " 15^, 1 Ch 5-'), so did those of the territory called Samaria. Thus the ' king of Samaria ' (2 K V, Hos 10') is the king, and the ' cities of Samaria' (1 K 13'^ 2 K 17"- =" 23'») the cities, of the Northern kingdom ; and the ' mountains of Samaria' (Jer 31°, Am 3") is simply anotlier term for the hill-country of Ephraim (A V Mt. Ephraim). The name Samaria is used in its extended sense in 1 K 18^ 2 K IT-^ 23i«, 2 Ch 25", Ezr 4", Nch i\ Am 3'2. In the Apocrypha (1 Es 2"'- =», Jth !» 4^ 1 Mao 310 50s 10^0. 3s iiai. M 2 Mac I51) and in NT (Lk 17", Jn i- »• '• », Ac 1" 8' 9") the name Samaria denotes the central of the three districts — Judaea, S.amaria, and Galilee — into which the country west of Jordan was divided. According to Josephus {BJ III. iii. 1, 4, 5), Samaria was bounded on the north by Galilee and the territory of the free city of Scythopolis, its most northerly village being Ginica {.Jen in), in the great plain of Esdraelon. It extended S. to the toparchy of Acrabatta, 'Akri'ibeh, and the villages of Anuatli, Kh. 'Aina, and Borceos, Bcrkit, which were about 15 Roman miles S. of Shechem, and belonged to Juda>a. In the Jordan Vallev the boundary ran N. of Sartaba, Kurn Surtaba (Mishna, llosh /uish-shana, ii. 3) ; and on the west to the N. of Antipatris (Talm. Bab. Giitin, 76(i). It was separated from the sea on the W. by the coast district of Judaia, which stretched N. to Ptolemais {BJ III. iii. 5). Samaria is a land of hills and valleys, with here and there upland plains of great fertility. Carmel and other hills are partially clothed with dense thickets, and, in places, remnants of former forests can still be seen. In tho plains and open valleys the rich soil yields abundant harvests of wheat, oats, and maize, whilst on the terraced hillsides the fig, the olive, and the vino bring forth their fruit in due season. Josephus says truly {B.T III. iii. 4) that the country was fruitful and well wooded ; it abouiuled in wild fruit and in that produced by cultivation ; its water was good, and in consemienco of the excellence of its grass the cattle yielded more milk than el.sewhero. Samaria is an open country, and was always at the mercy of ho.stile invaders. It seems to nave ollcrcd littleresistance to Joshua, and, after the con- quest, Canaanites, Midianites, Syrians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Komans overran it with comparative ease. No great battle was fought within its 376 SAilARIA, TERRITORY OF SAMATUS limits, and the stirring episodes of mountain warfare, so frequent in Juila'a, are unknown to its annals. On the other hand, it is remarkable for the number of fortified towns or 'strong places ' that guarded its approaches. The open character of Samaria facilitated communication. Great hifjlnvays of commerce passed through it, and chariots were used at a very early period. Amongst the trade routes were that from the coast, through tlie remarkable pass between Ebal and Gerizim, to the districts east of Jordan ; and those from the Maritime Plain across the hills to Megiddo {Lejjiin), and En-gannim (Jenin), and thence to Baslian and Damascus. To these Avell- travelled roads wa-s due in great measure the close connexion that has always existed between Samaria and the trans-Jordanic regions, and the readiness with which the Jews of the district succumbed to the influence of the surrounding paganism. After the Assyrians had conquered the kingdom of the ten tribes, they carried away the people to Assyria, and brought men from ' Babjlon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim,' and placed them in the ' cities of Samaria ' (2 K 17"- "• '^ ; Ant. ix. xiv. 1 ). At a later date, during the reigns of Esar-haddon and Assur, bani, pal (Osnappar, RV), the number of Assyrian colonists in Samaria was largely in- creased (Ezr 4'- »■■"). In 2K 17=^ these colonists are termed ' Samaritans.' Josephus says {Ant. IX. xiv. 3, X. ix. 7, XI. iv. 4) that they were called Cutha2ans in Hebrew, from Cuthah, the city of their origin, and Samaritans in Greek, from the country to which they were removed ; and he regarded the Samaritans of his day as their descendants. The Cuthieans and others brought their national gods with them, an act which was believed to have brought on them the yengeanco of the God of the land. One of the captive Jewish priests was consequently sent to teach them 'how they should fear the Lord.' The result appears to have been that they adopted the Jewish ritual, but combined the worship of J" with that of their graven images (2 K 17^"' ; Ant. IX. xiv. 3). Possibly, many of their high places and altars were destroyed during the re- forms of Josiah (2 K 2319, 2 Ch"34«). The Captivity freed the Jews from their old sin of idolatry, and intensified the exclusiveness of the Jewish character. When, therefore, the Jews re- turned from Babylon, and the Samaritans ofl'ered to assist tliem in rebuildin" the walls and temple at Jerusalem, the profi'ered aid was refused, and the Jews excluded the Samaritans from all par- ticipation in their worship. Quarrels naturally arose, and led to a nmtual enmity between the two peoples, which was marked by frequent outbursts of active hostility. The Samaritans were generally the aggressors. They attempted to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Ezr 4'-", Nell 4'-' ; Ant. XI. iv. 4); seized Jewish lands, and carried Jews off as slaves (Ant. XII. iv. 1). On one occasion they brought the bodies of dead men into the cloisters of the temple (Ant. xvili. ii. 2), and on another they killed Galila'ans who were passing through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem. This last outburst gave rise to dis- putes, which were referred to Rome for settlement (Ant. XX. vi. 1-3 ; .BJ'II. xii. 3-7). TheSamaritans were always ready to claim kinship with the Jews when the latter were prosperous (Ant. IX. xiv. 3, XI. viii. 6) ; but at otiier tiuies they repudiated the relationship, and acknowledged their Assyrian origin (Kzr 4'^ ; Ant. XI. iv. 3, 9, Xll. v. 5). The feeling of the Jews towards their enemies is indi- cated by the term of reproacli, 'Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil' (.In 8*); by the words of Jesus son of Sirach (Sir 50»' =«) '; and the mutual hostility explains Christ's command to His disciples not to enter into any city of the Samaritans (Mt lU"). Samaria, after its conquest by Assyria, wa» ruled by Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian governors until Syria and Palestine fell to Alex- ander after the battle of Issus. The Samaritaas hastened to prott'er aid to the conqueror, and in return were granted, according to Josephus, per- mission to build a temple on ilt. Gerizim (A nt. XJ. viii. 4, 6, XIII. iii. 4, ix. 1). In this temple, which, more probably, however, was built by Sanballat during tlie time of Nehemiah, the Samaritans ofl'ered sacrifices after the manner of the Jews. But when Antiochus IV. Epiphanes took Jerus. and desecrated the temple, they were quite ready to address him as god, and ask his permission to call their place of worship the temple of Zeus-Hellenius (Ant. XII. v. 5). After having more than once changed hands during the struggle between Alexander's successors, Samaria was given by Antiochus III. the Great, as part of the dower of his daughter Cleopatra, to Ptolemy V. Epi- phanes(^n<. XII. iv. 1). During the reign of the latter's successor, Ptolemy VI. Philometor, the Samaritan colony in Egypt, which owed its origin to the settlement of Samaritans serving in Alex- ander's army (Aiit. XI. viii. 6), and to the re- moval of Samaritans from Palestine to Egypt by Ptolemy I. Soter (Ant. XII. i. 1), maintained, in controversy with the Alexandrian Jews, that according to the laws of Moses the temple was to be built on Gerizim and not at Jerus. (^4 nt, XIII. iii. 4). Samaria was conquered by Jolin Hyrcanus, who destroyed the temple on Gerizim (BJ I. ii. 6, 7) ; and, after passing to the Romans when Pompey intervened in the quarrel between Hyr- canus II. aud his brother, it was given to Herod by Augustus (Ant. XV. vii. 3). On Herod's death it was granted to his son Arehelaus (Ant. XVII. xi. 4 ; B.J II. vi. 3) ; but, on his banishment, it was added to the province of Syria (Ant. XVII. xiii. 5 ; BJ II. viii. 1). In the time of Pilate a large number of Samaritans were killed when on their way to Gerizim, and to I'ilates action on this occasion Josephus ascribes his recall (Ant. XVUI. iv. 1, 2). In the days of our Lord the Samaritans formed an important element in the population ; and though thev probably had a strong admixture of Jewish blood in their veins (2 K 23"'- ^, 2 Ch 34", Ezr 6'S Jn 4" ; Ant. X. iv. 5), they had not lost their distinctive character as aliens by descent (Lk 17'^ cf. 10''''"''), and apparently in religion (.In 4', ). The gospel ajjjiears to have been first preached to the Samaritans by Philip, and with some measure of success (Ac 8'""). But it cannot have been very generally accepted, for the Samaritans more than once came into collision with the Roman emperors and the Christians. 'Vespasian quelled a tnreatened rising by slaying 11,600 of them on Mt. Gerizim (BJ UI. vii. 32) j and they were so severely punished by Zeno and Justinian for murdering Christians and destroying churches, that they never afterwards recovered. Benjamin of 'Tudela, A.D. 1163, found 'Cutheang, who observe the Mosaic law only, and are called Samaritans,' at NiMus, Ca;sarea, Ascalon, and Damascus (Early Travels, p. 81). They are now represented by a few families at Ndblus, LiTRRATiHE.— Condcr, Tent-Work, 1. 80-109; Stantey, Sinat and Palestine, 221>-248 ; G. A. Smith, UtSllL S21-S43 ; Gatna, Samarie ; Snhiirer, IJJP I. i. 190 (., 280, 11. i. 6-8 ; Baedelter- Socin, Pal." 226ff.; Buhl, GAP, 207. C. 'W. WiLSON. SAMATUS (SdAuiTos), 1 Es 9".— One of the bom of Kzora, corresponding to Shemariah or Shallom in Ezr lu"- «. S.UIECH samso:n^ 377