SAMARIA

SAISARIA. — A city built on a hill purchased by Omri, king of Israel, from a certiain Shemer, and by him made the capital of the Israelite kingdom (1 K 16"). We gather from 1 K 20^ that Ben-hadad i., king of Syria, successfully attacked it soon afterwards, and had com-pelled Omri to grant him favourable trade facilities. Ahab here built a Baal temple (1 K 16=2) and a palace of ivory {22"). Ben-hadad ii. here besieged Ahab, but unsuccessfully, and was obliged to reverse the terms his father had exacted from Omri. Jehoram attempted a feeble and half-hearted reform, destroying Ahab's Baal-pillar, though retaining the calf-worship (2 K 3') and the asherah (13°). The city was again besieged in his time by Ben-hadad ii. (2 K 6. 7). After this event the history of Samaria is bound up with the troublesome internal affairs of the Northern Kingdom, and we need not follow it closely till we reach B.C. 724, when Shal-maneser iv. besieged Samaria in punishment for king Hoshea's disaffection. It tell three years later; and Sargon, who had meanwhile succeeded Shalmaneser on the Assyrian throne, deported its inhabitants, sub-stituting a number of people drawn from other places (2 K 17). In B.C. 331 it was besieged and conquered by Alexander, and in B.C. 120 by John Hyrcanus. Herod carried out important building works here, large portions of which still remain. He changed the name to Sebaste in honour of Augustus. Philip preached here (Ac 8'). The city, however, gradually decayed, fading before the growing importance of Neapolis (Shechem). The Crusaders established a bishopric here.

Extensive remains of ancient Samaria still exist at the mound known as Sebustiyeh (Sebaste) , a short distance from Nablus. It is one of the largest and most important mounds in ancient Palestine. Excavations under the auspices of Harvard University were begun in 1908. R. A. S. Macalistek.

SAMARITAlfS.— The descendants of the Cuthites, Avvites, Sepharvites, and Hamathites, established by Sargon in Samaria after he had put an end to the Israelite kingdom. They were instructed in a form of the Hebrew religion (which they grafted on to their own worships) in order to appease the 'God of the land' (2 K 17"). To. these colonists Ashurbanipal made considerable additions (Ezr 4'- '»). The enmity between Jews and Samaritans began to make its appearance immediately after the return from the Captivity. The Samaritans endeavoured to prevent the re-building of Jerusalem (Ezr 4', Neh 4'), and from time to time their subsequent aggressions and insults to the re-founded Jewish State are recorded by Josephus. After the battle of Issus the Samaritans offered assistance to Alexander, and were allowed to build a temple on Gerizim, where they sacrificed after the manner of the Jews— though they were quite ready to repudiate Jewish origin, rite, and prejudice whenever occasion arose (see Jos. Ant. xii. v. 5). This temple was destroyed by John Hjrrcanus. The disputes between the Jews and the Samaritans were at last referred to Rome (BJ II. xii. 3-7). Throughout the Gospel history the ill-feeling is conspicuous: the Samaritans were ' strangers, (Lk 17"), and their admixture of heathen worship seems still to have persisted (Jn 4^2). Vespasian inflicted a crushing blow upon them by massacring 11,600 on Mt. Gerizim. From 1;his and other sufferings later inflicted by Zeno and Justinian they never recovered. They still persist, to the number of about ISO, in Nablus. They acknowledge the Pentateuchal legislation only, and endeavour to preserve intact the Mosaic rites and ordinances. H. A. S. Macalistee.

SAMATTJS (1 Es Q^O =ShaUum, Ezr 10«.

SAMECH.— The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and as such employed in the 119th Psalm to designate the 15th part, each verse of which begins with this letter.

SAUELLITTS (1 Es 2"- "■'^- '") =Shimshai, Ezr 4» etc.

SAMSON

SAMEUS (1 Es 9") =Shemaiah, Ezr 10''.

SAMGAR-NEBO.— One of the Babylonian princes who, at the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, in the 11th year of Zedekiah, came and sat in the middle gate (Jer 39=). There has been much discussion con-cerning this name, due to the varying forms of the Greek version. The most probable explanation is that of Schrader, naraelv, Shumgir-NabU, a name meaning 'Be gracious, O Nebo.' As, however, Rab-saris and Bab-mag are titles, the question arises whether Samgar-nebo may not be one also. If so, it may be a corrup-tion of sangu Nebo, 'the priest of Nebo,' — an office possibly held by Nergal-sharezer, who, if identical with king Neriglissar, was closely connected with E-zida, the temple of Nebo at Borsippa. His daughter married a priest of E-zida in the first year of his reign.

T. G. Pinches.

SAMLAH.— An Edomite king (Gn 36»'- =1 Ch 1<").

SAMMUS (1 Es 9«) =Shema, Neh 8<.

SAUOS was an important island in the jEgjean Sea off the coast of Ionia. It was a centre of luxury, art, and science. In b.c. 84 it was united to the province of Asia, and in b.c. 17 was made a free State by Augustus. This it was when St. Paul touched here (Ac 20") on his way home from his third journey. There were many Jewish residents on the island, and it was one of the places addressed by the Romans in favour of the Jews (1 Mac 152'). A_ SouTEK.

SAMOTHRACE.— An island S. of Thrace and N.W. of Troas, from which place St. Paul had a straight run to it (Ac 16"). The town of the same name was on the N. side of the island. The island is mountainous, and has a summit nearly a mile above the sea level. It owes its name perhaps to its resemblance to Samos (wh. see). Samothrace played little part in Greek history, but was famous as the seat of the mysterious cult of the divinities known as Cabeiri. A. Souteh.

SAMPSAMES.— One of the places to which the Romans wrote in favour of the Jews (1 Mac 15''); usually identified with Sarnsun, a seaport town on the Black Sea. RVm, with Vulg., has Lampsacus.

SAMSON (LXX and Vulg.; Heb. ShimshBn; probably derived from shemesh, 'sun,' either as a diminutive, or better 'sun-man'). — Mentioned in OT in Jg 13-16. and in NT in He ll'^.

1. The story need not be recapitulated, but certain details require explanation. 13^^ seems to be the prelude to a first exploit, now lost. 14 is not dear as it stands; probably 'his father and his mother' in vv.'' ">■ 'n* are glosses introduced to avoid the appearance of dis-obedience. He goes down alone, meets the lion alone, returns to his home after his visit to his bride (v.* 'to take her ' being another gloss) ; then after an interval he goes back to celebrate the marriage he has arranged; v.'"" is particularly absurd as it stands. The 'thirty companions' of v." are the 'friends of the bridegroom,' chosen on this occasion from the bride's people (see below, § 4); the companion of v."" is their leader, 'the best man.' The 'linen garments' of v.'^ are pieces of fine linen, costly and luxurious (Pr Sl^', Is 3^); 'the changes ' are gala dresses. The Philistines give up the riddle 'after three dayai^'*), and appeal to the woman on the seventh (v."; LXX Syr. 'fourth'); yet she weeps for the whole week, imploring Samson to tell her (v."). Perhaps the figures of vv."- " are interpola-tions, the Philistines giving up at once. 'Before the sun went down' (v.") is ungrammatical in Heb., with a rare word for 'sun'; with best modern edd., read by a slight alteration 'before he went into the bridal- chamber' (cf. 15'). In ch. 16, words, variously repre-sented by LXX, have fallen out between y." and v."; the sense is '. . . and beat them up with the pin, I shall become weak, So while he was asleep she took the seven locks and wove them into the web, and beat

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