See Wuhmstm, Researches, iii, 136-149; Olin, Travels, ii, 366-374; Buckingham, Ti-avels in Palestine, p. 512- 517; Richardson, Ti-avels, I'l, 409-413; Schubert, ;l/o^7/«^- land, iii, 156-162 ; Raumer, Paldstina, p: 144-148 (notes), 158; Maundrell, Jo)/r»«/, p. 78, 79; Reland, Palcestiixi, p. 344, 979-982; Van de Velde, Syria and Palestine, i, 363-388; ii, 295, 296; Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 242-246 ; De Saulcj% Dead Sea, ii, 272 sq. ; Hackett, II- lust. p. 183 sq. ; Schwarz, Palest, p. 149 ; Thomson, Land and Book, ii, 197 sq.; Porter, flandhook, p. 337 sq.; Ridg- away, The Lord's Land, p. 541 sq. ; Conder, Terit Work in Palestine, i, 88 sq. See Samaria, Reijion of.
SAMARIA, Region of (usually ^afidpiia, the same as the city; but when distinguishing it from the latter, the Sept. and Josephus write 'Sa/^apdrig or Xiopa Sn- fiaptojv; sometimes '2aj.uipi, as Ptolemy). This term at first included all the tribes o\-er which Jeroboam made himself king, whether east or west of the river Jordan. Hence, even before the city of Samaria exist- ed, we find the " old prophet who dwelt at Bethel" de- scribing the predictions of "the man of God who came from Judah," in reference to the altar at Bethel, as di- rected not merely against that altar, but "against all the houses of the high-places which are in the cities of Sa- mnria^' (1 Kings xiii, 32), i. e., of course, the cities of which Samaria was, or was to be, the head or capital. In other places in the historical books of the Old Test, (with the exception of 2 Kings xvii, 24, 2G, 28, 29) Samaria seems to denote the city exclusively. But the prophets use the word, much as did the old prophet of Bethel, in a greatly extended sense. Thus the "calf of Bethel" is called bj' Hosea (viii, 5, 6) the " calf of Samaria;" in Amos (iii, 9) the " mountains of Samaria" are spoken of; and the "captivity of Samaria and her daughters" is a phrase found in Ezekiel (xvi, 53).
But, whatever extent the word might have acquired, it necessarily became contracted as the limits of the kingdom of Israel became contracted. In all probabili- ty the territory of Simeon and that of Dan were very early absorbed in the kingdom of Judah. This would be one limitation. Next, in B.C. 771 and 740 respective- ly, "Pul, king of Assyria, and Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, carried away the Reubenites, and the (iadites, and the half-tribe of Jlanasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and llara, and to the river (Jozan" (1 Chron. v, 20). This would be a second limitation. But the latter of these kings went further: "He took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria" (2 Kings XV, 29). This would be a third limitation. Nearly a century before, B.C. 860, " the Lord had begun to cut Israel short," for " Hazael, king of Syria, smote them in all the coasts of Israel; from Jordan eastward, all the land of (iilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon,
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even Gilead and Bashan" (2 Kings x, 32, 33). This, however, as we may conjecture from the diversity'of expression, had been merely a passing inroad, anil had involved no i)ermanent sulijection of the country, or de- portation of its inhabitants. The invasions of I'ul and of Tilgath-pilneser were utter clearances of the popula- tion. The territory thus desolated by them was proba- bly occiijiied by degrees by the pushing forward of the neighboring heathen, or by straggling families of the Israelites themselves. In reference to the northern part of Galilee, we know that a heathen po[iulation pre- vailed. Hence the phrase "Galilee of the nations" or "Gentiles" (Isa. ix, 1; 1 Mace, v, 15). No doubt this was the case also beyond Jordan. But we have j-et to arrive at a fourth limitation of the kingdom of Samaria. It is evident from an occurrence in Hezeki- ah's reign that just before the deposition of Hoshea, the last king of Israel, the authority of the king of Ju- dah, or, at least, his influence, was recognised by por- tions of Asher, Issachar, and Zebulun, and even of Ephraim and jManasseh (2 Chron. xxx, 1-2C). Men came from all those tribes to the Passover at Jerusalem. This was about B.C. 726. In fact, to such miserable limits had the kingdom of Samaria been reduced, that ^\■hen, two or three years afterwards, we are told that " Shalmaneser came up throughout the land," and after a siege of three years " took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes" (2 Kings xvii, 5, (J), and when again we are told that " Israel was carried away out of their own land into Assyria" (2 Kings xvii, 23), we must suppose a ver\- small field of operations. Samaria (the city), and a (ew adjacent cities or villages only, rejjresented that dominion which had once extended from Bethel to Dan northwards, and from the IMediterranean to the borders of Syria and Ammon eastwards. This is fur- ther confirmed by what we read of Josiah's progress, in B.C. 028, through " the cities of JIanasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali" (2 Chron. xxxiv, 6). Such a progress would have been impracticable had the number of cities and vill.ages been at all large. — Smith. On the capture of the city of Samaria, and the final overthrow of the kingdom of Israel b}' Shalmaneser or Sargon (B.C. 720), the Jews were removed, and stran- gers were brought from Assyria " and placed in the cities of Samaria" (2 Kings xvii, 24 ; comp. Ezra iv, 10). These colonists took the name of their new country. See Samauitans. Instead of a kingdom, Samaria now became a province. Its extent caimot be exactly as- certained. The political geograi)liy of Palestine was undergoing changes every year,in consequence of inces- sant wars and conquests ; and it was not until the period of Homan dominion that the boundaries of provinces be- gan to be accurately defined. .losephus describes the jirovince as follows: "The district of Samaria lies be- tween Juda-a and Galilee. Commencing at a village called (iiiuea, situated in the Great Plain, it terminates at the territory of the Acrabatene.s" ( Il'o?-, iii, 3, 4). (iina^a is identical with the modern Jenin, on the south- ern side of the plain of Esdraelon. It is evident, there- fore, thai the northern border of Samaria ran along the foot of the mountain-range, beginning at the promon- tory of Carmel on the west, and terminating at ihe.Ior- dan, near the site of Succoth. Its southern Uirder woidd probably correspond ])retty nearly to a line drawn from Joppa eastward througli Bethel to the Jordan (see lie- land, /'((/f'.v^ p, 102). Thus ii comprehended the ancient territory of ICphraim, and of ihose Manassites who were west of Jordan. "Its character," Josejihus continues, "is in no respect different from that of Juda-a. Both aboinid in mountains and plains, and arc suited for agri- cidture, and i roductive, wooded, and full of fruits both wil«l and cultivated. The^' are not abundantly water- ed; but much rain falls there. The springs are of an exceedingly sweet taste; and, on account of the (juanti- ty of goo<l grass, the cattle there produce more milk