Samaria

As you know I like to put up my unformed studies to perhaps make it a stepping stone for other people’s research. So here it goes, a history of Samaria.


Abraham passed through the land
of Shechem
(Gen 12:6)

Jacob had erected an alter in Shechem (Gen 33:19,20)

A blessing on Mt Gerzim, A curse on Mt Ebal (Deu 11:29)

In the Samaritan Pentateuch, apparently Ebal is replaced
with Gerzim (Matt 27:4)

King Omri sought a different capital than Tirzah because
Zimri burnt down the palace and himself when Omri was coming to take him out 1
King 16:18

Bought by Omri King of Israel
bought the hill from Shemar and named it after him. (1 Kings 16:24)

Cost 2 talents of silver (1 Kings 16:24)

Moved the capital of the 10 tribes to Samaria
(1 Kings 16:29)

Omri (married Jezebel) and built a house to Baal in Samaria
(1 Kings 16:32)

Idolatry was prevalent here (2 King 13:6)

Samaria was
besieged by Syrians led by Ben-Haded (1 King 20) when Ahab was in charge. Ahab
was offered a deal which he agreed to but Ben-Haded wanted more and to this he
disagreed. God took the side of Israel
and sent the Syrians into the hands of Ahab, routing them one time and a year later
as well. Unfortunately, Ahab made a pact with Ben-Haded concerning the work in
the streets, and Ahab let him go. God promised Ahab death, a life for a life,
because he did not fully destroy the enemies of God who said he was only God of
the hills and not of the valleys.

Syrians are led into Samaria
by Elisha (during reign of Jehoram) when they were miraculously blinded (2 King
6:8-23). He stops the hand of the king and lets the men go, fed and knowing
that they should be dead.

Ben-Haded besieged Samaria
again (2 Kings 6:24-33) resulting in
a horrid famine where people were eating their own children. Jehoram swore the
death of Elisha because of this.

Besieged by Shalmanesar of Assyria and the people are
carried away to Halah, Habor and the city of the Medes(2 Kin 17:5, 6; 18:9-11)

Jehu destroys house of Baal 2 Kings 10:17-28 by gathering
all the priests of Baal in and locking the doors and slaying them all but left
up the ones in Bethel and Dan (2
Kings 10:29) built by Jereboam.

Josiah did the job right (2 Kings 23:19) by taking out all the high places and temples.

Populated by foreigners by the mandate of the Assyrian King
(Sargon II?) (2 Kings 17:24-41; Ezra 4:9,10) with even more idolatry entering
into the land.

Rejected as family by Jews and eventually taken over by the
Greeks, Samaritans moved their place of worship to Shechem and built a temple
on Mt. Gerizim.
They eventually dedicated the temple to Zeus while the Jews drove out the
Seleucids under Antiochus Epiphanes who committed the abomination of the
desolation.

John Hyrcanus (The Hasmonaean Kingdom) expanded his borders
into Samaria when he was no longer
forced to pay heavy taxes to the Seleucids.
He destroyed the temple at Mt.
Gerzim
even though the Samaritans
continued to worship there.

Samaria (the
city) had been given to Herod the Great by Emperor Augustus and renamed Sebaste
in honor of the emperor.

Disciples forbidden to preach there or in city of gentiles
in Matt 10:5?the time had not yet come for that.

Upon meeting up with Jesus, many disciples were made in John
4:39-42

Upon being preached Christ by Philip, many were made
disciples in Acts 8:5-8

Holy Ghost enters the Samaritans in the presence of Peter
and John?Acts 8:14-17

-r-

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