Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-07-06
S A M A R IA.

Samaria, which was the capital of the
ten tribes, when formed into the kingdom
of Israel, was about forty-two miles
north of Jerusalem. 1t was built by
Omri, king of Israel, and received its
name from Shemer, who was once owner
of the hill on which it stood. In the |
reign of Ahab, who had an ivory |
house." or splended palace, in Samaria,
Benhadad gathered all his troops together
and with thirty-two kings assisting him,
laid siege to Samaria. During the siege,
Benhadad was attacked while drinking in
his tent, and obliged to fee; and the
king of Israel smote the chariots and the
horses and slew the Syrians with a great
slaughter. Benhadad, some years after
laid siege to Samaria a second time, in
the reign of Jehoram, son of Ahab and
so great famine did this siege occasion,
that the head of an ass was sold for four
score pieces of silver OF about 9l0; and
mothers ate their own infants. The city,
however, was not taken at this time !;
God made the Syrians to hear the noise
of chariots and of horses, even of a great
host; and thinking that the Egyptians
were coming upon them they fed, with
great precipitation, leaving every thing
behind them, and casting away even their
garments in the fight. Not long after
this, the elders of Samaria beheaded
seventy of Ahab's sons or descendants,
agreeably to the prediction of Elijah
that the Lord would cut off every male
from the house of Ahab. Samaria sub.
sequently to this became distinguished
for its prosperity, luxury, idolatry and
oppression of the poor and on account
of their wickedness, God threatened then
with the destruction of their splendit
palaces, and all the worldly things il
! which they delighted. These threaten
! ings were fulfilled in the time of Shal
maneser, king of Assyria, who obtained
possession of the city after siege o
[ three years, laid it in ruins, and carried
! away the inhabitants into captivity. Sa
maria, after this was peopled by mel
: from Babylon, Cushah, Ava, Hama, ant
: Separvaim, some of whom, on accoun
: of their idolatry, were destroyed b.
: lions. That this calamity might nc
= again befall them, they informed th
e king of Assyria that they were ignorar
e of the manner of the God of the land
and he sent them a Hebrew priest to il
it struct them in the knowledge of the tru
God. They did not, however, discor
/. tinue their idolatrous practices, but wo
l. shipped God along with their own idol
5 When the Jews had returned from ii
g Babylonish captivity, and had set abor
lie rebuilding the temple and the walls
d, Jerusalem, the Samaritans threw evel
lie obstacle in their way, and opposed the
al with all their might. They retarded Il
a progress of the work for short time, b
in at last Darius ordered the Samaritan
ne Gerezim to give the Jews no furth
IS trouble. Sanballat, having received col
is, mission from Darius, erected a temple
ad God and to their idols on Mount &c
at zim; but this tended rather to wild
. than to heal the breach between the
and the Jews. Alexander the Great S
as tied colony of Macedonians in San
he ria, but it was completely demolished
-as Hircanus, who caused water to run OF
re its foundations" -Frasey's Sacred
m ography.