The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-07-18
From the N. Y, Observer.
CITIES Or TmE EsEBLE.
nY IENNlE nARRmoN.
! CITY Bunr on a nlLE-

Nine hundred aud twenty five years
before Christ, a certain king reigneC
over Israel, whose name was Omri
Wishing to make new capital for hi,
kingdom, he bought the hill Samaria
OF Shemer, tor two talents of silver, and
built on the hill, and called the name ot
the city which he built after the name
OF Shemer, owner Of the hill, Samaria." :"
Il Kings 16: 2l.)
This hill was situated in the centre of
valley which was surrounded by other
hills. 1t was an oblong hill, sixteen
hundred feet above the valley, with a
fiat top; and the situation was beauti-
fiil one tor great city such as Omri
founded. We are not told much of this
king 0mri, after he built the city, ex-
eept the short, sad story that he
''wrought evil in the eyes Of the Lord
and did worse than all that were before
him." But the city on the hill grew,
aud became the rival of the great
Jerusalem. r..r..a.
When Ahab was king, his wickcdness
seemed even greater than that of his
father Omri. lie built temple at Baal, g,
and worshiped that idol instead of the
true God. During bis reign-and
agsin few years later--Samaria was
besieged by the Syrians, but they were
not successful on either occasion. Dur
ing these sieges the inhabitants Of the
city suffered terribly from famine. Of
this yon may read in the sixth and
seventh chapters Of second kings 1t
was then that woman cried unto the
king of Israel, as he passed by, and told
him the horrible story Of how another
woman had said unto her, "Giye thy
son, that we may eat him to-day, and
wewill eat my son Tomorrow" and how
she had afterwards hid her son, to save
him from such an awful fate, The king
rent his clothes at so sad scene, and
was angry at Elisha the prophet, who
directed him according to the word of
the Lord. Elisha then prophesied that
the famine should come to an end on
the morrow and it did. The Syrians
fled, and peace and plenty were restored
in Samaria.
The city was besieged and taken by
Shalmaneser king Of Assyria, 72l years
before Christ Then we do not hear
much of it again until the time of Alex
der the Great lie conquered it, killed
great number of the inhabitants, and
placed colony of Syro-Macedonians
there. 1t was afterwards utterly des-
troyed by a celebrated Jew, John
HyrCanus; but was rebuilt, and in the
reign of the Emperor Augustus was
given by him to Hepod the Great, who
did much to improve and adorn it,
Herod changed the name of Samaria to
Sebaste. He builta magnificent temple
on the summit Of the hill, in honor of
Augustus. lie enlarged the city, and
surrounded it with wall 20 furlOngs in
circumference. He built colOnade 50
feet wide and 5000 feet long, consist.
ing of two rows of ornamentcd columns
l6 feet high. This led up to the
temple.
Such was Samaria, in greatness and
spleBdOr, in the days of the Apostles,
when Philip went there and "preached
Christ" unto the people, and performed
his miracles, until "there was great joy
in that city" (Acts 8.)
In the time of Christ, district or
portion of the country of Palestine was
. called Samaria, in which the city of the
same name was situated. This district
lay between Judea and GaliIlce Thus,
when Christ left Judea and departed
into Galilee, "he must needs go through
Samaria, =" And we read of the "cities
of Samaria' and the ''yillages Of the
tSamaritans.
aSamaria--or Sebustieh, as it is called
lis now only poor town of 400 in
habitants, who are indolent, rude and
ragged The bill is covered with ruins
ofthe once splendid city. These ruins
consist chiefly Of broken columns, the
remains of temples, arches and of
Herods great colOnade. Nearly 100 OF
the pillars OF this great avenue are still
standing, some whole and others broken:
while many more lie scattered about, or
half buried in the ground. The ruins
of the church of st. John the Baptist
are among the most interesting remains
of the ancient city. This chWch was
built at the time df the crusades, in
memory OF ST. johns aud its crumbling
walls and arches show it to have been
once a handsome structure
The view from the summit of the
"hill of Samaria" is beautiful extend
ing over'the plains and hills around,
away to the Mediterranean sea- and we
admire the good taste OF the wicked
king Omri, who selected such a spot
for his capital.
But there, in those fertile plains, and
on that fair hill, where God had set the
marks of his love and wisdom, there
his people built affairs to their idols,
aud worshiped them. And for this He,
whose word cannot be broken, said
81 will make Samaria as a heap Of the
field, and as paintings OF vineyard ;
and | will pour down the stones thereof
into the valley, and | will discover the
foundations thereof" (Micah. /; g.