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