Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, built by King Omri in the ninth century B.C.E. The city was situated atop a hill rising some 300 feet above the surrounding valleys below. Thus the meaning of the Hebrew name Samaria (Shomron) is “watch-mountain,” though according the Bible the city was named after the owner of the hill, Shemer. The location of the site gave it a significant military advantage. It was also strategically located near the crossroads of the major trade routes in the region. The kings of Israel ruled here until the Assyrians destroyed the city in 722 B.C.E. and deported its inhabitants. After the destruction of the city, the name Samaria became the name of the larger region surrounding the city, including the biblical tribal territories of Ephraim and Manasseh. As a result of the Assyrian policy of deportation, the area was repopulated by a mixture of different people who came to be spurned by the Judeans.
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