SEBASTIA (SAMARIA)

This conspicuous hill, now fruitful with quiet olive groves, was settled during the Bronze and Iron Ages. However, its importance dates from biblical times when, in the early 9th century BCE, Omri, King of Israel, bought it for two talents of silver. ``He fortified the hill and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill'' (I Kings 16:24). It is easy to see why the Kings of Israel maintained their capital here.

Samaria, or Shomron in Hebrew, means ``watchtower.'' It rises 100 m. above the fertile plain. From the fortified palace complex that Omri and his son and successor, Ahab, built on the summit, it was possible to see the Sharon Valley and the coast on the west, and the Jezreel Valley with its strategic pass at Megiddo to the north. Omri and Ahab are known to us through the Bible as men who ``did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before them.'' Ahab married the notorious Jezebel and under her influence built a temple to Baal at Samaria. He also overlaid many of the fixtures and fittings of his palace with exquisitely carved ivory, earning for himself another biblical epitaph as the monarch who built ``the ivory house'' (1 Kings, 22:39). The Hebrew prophets continually upbraided the rulers of Samaria for their sins, with Isaiah delivering a tongue-lashing against the ``drunkards of Ephraim'' (Isaiah 28:1).

In 722 BCE, the Assyrians conquered Samaria after a three-year siege and deported most of the vanquished. Those they brought in as colonizers gradually intermarried with the few Israelites who remained, giving birth, according to popular belief reinforced by the Bible (2 Kings 17), to the first generation of Samaritans. Samaritans deny this and claim they were a separate group before the exile.

The Samaritans courted the favour of Alexander the Great during their political rivalry with the Jews in Jerusalem. But after the Samaritans' great temple was completed on Mt. Gerizim in 332 BCE, they burned alive Alexander's prefect for the area.

The result was the merciless slaughter of the fleeing Samaritans and the occupation of their city at Samaria. The remnants of this community fled to the foot of their sacred mountain. Re-settlement of Samaria and the region was carried out by 6,000 Macedonians. However, the Hasmonaean, John Hyrcanus, destroyed much of the hill city in the 2nd century BCE.

Samaria rose to greatness again under the vigorous rule of Herod the Great. He named it Sebastia in honour of the Roman Emperor Augustus (Sebastos is ``Augustus'' in Greek). The final destruction came at the hands of the Persians.

Sites

Byzantine Church: below the acropolis. Dates from 5th century. Walls up to 4 m. high remain.

Forum: many columns standing from about 30 BCE when built by Herod.

Hellenistic Tower: huge blocks of stone cut for round tower. Erected during 4th century BCE.

Israelite Gate: 9th century BCE, on eastern slope. Stones retain scratch marks of hinges of doors to the gate.

Israelite Wall: built in 9th century BCE. Surrounded perimeter of city. When fortified with towers, bastions and casemates it was 10 m. wide and enclosed 5 dunams.

Israelite Walls on Acropolis: finely cut stones set on deep foundations.

Roman Amphitheatre: 1st century BCE. Facing north. Most of the stones are still in place.

Roman Basilica: 3rd century CE. Many columns still standing.

Roman Temple: dedicated to Emperor Augustus by Herod and mounted by huge steps.

Street of Columns: on southern base of hill. Main thoroughfare during Herodian period.

Return left to Road No. 60 with the signpost directing you right to Tulkarm and Netanya (Road No. 57), taking care not to follow the road leading past the tank as this goes north to Jenin. Tulkarm, an Arab town, offers the traveller a market place where fresh fruit and vegetables are sold alongside trinkets, curios and pita. Be careful. You could become the target of stone-throwing youths. Back in your car, you will soon cross a railway line. It was so close to the cease-fire lines before June 1967 that Israeli train passengers used to rib one another: ``Don't lean over the border!'' There are a number of agricultural villages and settlements between this point and the Haifa-Tel Aviv Road.

You may either cross the main road that is a few hundred metres from the centre of Netanya, or take the left turn and continue straight on to Tel Aviv for the remaining 30 km. on Highway No. 2. For a description of this last part of your journey see Route No. 12.