Samaria

Samaria, a city of Palestine, which gave its name to the district between Judrea and Galilee. It was founded by Omri, about 922 B.C., and became the capital of the kingdom of Israel. About 720 B.C. Shalmaneser replaced the inhabitants by Assyrian settlers, many of whom were converted to the worship of Jehovah by a priest of the tribe of Levi. When the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt, the Samaritans offered to aid the Jews, but met with a refusal, which led to bitter religious animosity between Samaritans and Jews. John Hyrcanus destroyed the city, as well as the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, near Sichem, in 129 B.C. It was soon rebuilt, and, under Herod, acquired some importance, but has since dwindled into a mean village.