Samaria

Samaria is a historical and geographical term that refers to the central hill country of the ancient Levant, traditionally interpreted as the northern portion of the Land of Israel. In modern times, the area lies largely within the West Bank, between the coastal plain to the west and the Jordan Valley to the east. The modern Hebrew name Shomron corresponds to Samaria, and the term is used in some political and scholarly contexts to denote the northern part of the West Bank.

In the biblical era, Samaria was the core of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the split of the united monarchy around the 10th century BCE. Omri built the city of Samaria as the capital around the 9th century BCE. The kingdom flourished for about two centuries until it fell to the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE; many inhabitants were exiled and the area was resettled by foreign populations. The region retained the name Samaria in later periods and appears in biblical and classical sources.

Nearby archeological remains include the site of ancient Samaria, identified with the hilltop ruin at Sebastia, near modern-day Nablus. The site includes palace remains and fortifications dating to the early Iron Age and later periods.

The Samaritan community, distinct from mainstream Judaism, traces its origins to Israelite populations in the Samaritan tradition. They preserve the Samaritan Pentateuch and worship on Mount Gerizim near Nablus. Today the Samaritan population is small, living primarily in Mount Gerizim and in Holon, Israel, with cultural and religious institutions maintained by a small number of adherents.

Today, Samaria is primarily a historical and geographic term used in archaeology, biblical studies, and contemporary discourse about the West Bank. The term is sometimes used by certain groups to describe the area north of Jerusalem as part of territorial or political designations.