True Worshippers
True Worshippers by David O. Ogaga of Nigeria – ISBN: 978-17929488930
. This city is situated 30 miles north of Jerusalem and about six miles to the northwest of Shechem. It finally became the Capital of the Northern Kingdom. With ten tribes going with Rehoboam and two tribes left to Jeroboam with Jerusalem as the Capital of the Southern kingdom. (True Worshippers by David O. Ogaga)
1 Kings 16:23-24 we read, “In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah and he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.”
This city was twice besieged by the Syrians, in B.C. 901 and in B.C. 892. (See 1 Kings 20:1-2, Kings 6:24-7,20) But on both occasions the siege was not successful.
Whoever rules over Samaria was often considered as the de facto king of Israel. “Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.” 2 Kings 15:13-15 (True Worshippers by David O. Ogaga).
From the time of Omri’s purchase in B.C. 925, Samaria retained its dignity as the capital of the ten tribes, and the name is given to the Northern kingdom as well as to the city. Those therefore from the Northern kingdom were called Samaritans, a term applied to those who lived in the Northern kingdom before the congest of 740BCE, as distinct from other parts of the foreigners who later were brought in from other parts of the Assyrian Empire. (2 Kings.17:29)
“And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof” (2 Kings 17:24) These were the foreigners.
Ahab built a temple to Baal there. “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him, and he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.” 1 Kings.16:30-32.
In the time of Christ, Western Palestine was divided into three provinces, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Samaria occupied the centre of Palestine (John 4:4). It is called in the Talmud the “land of the Cuthim,” and is not regarded as a part of the Holy Land at all. It may be noticed that the distance between Samaria and Jerusalem, the respective capitals of the two kingdoms, is only 35 miles in a direct line. Now that is the background to the story we are about to consider. (True Worshippers by David O. Ogaga)
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True Worshippers
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