Israel Tour 14 Samaria, Tel Shiloh, ancient Shechem

Samaria is both a city and a region. The city of Samaria was the capital for Ahab and Jezebel and almost  certainly where Elijah found Ahab before and after a three-year drought that crippled the  northern economy (1 Kings 17:1, 18:1-2). After the northern kingdom was exiled, non-Jews  populated the area. When the Persian king allowed Jews to return to their homeland, the center of  the land — with the city of Samaria at the heart — there was a mixture of religious and cultural  beliefs. By the time of the New Testament, when a strong Jewish population was again following biblical customs in Jerusalem, enmity built up between Jews and the “Samaritans.” Jesus  famously went through Samaria, where he met a Samaritan woman at a well. The archaeological site featured in this video is Tel Shiloh. The Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle were here during the time of Joshua and the Judges. The city in the valley is Nablus, the site of ancient Shechem. Sychar (of John 4) was just outside Shechem. This video is one of  several that can provide an overview of Israel, and the Bible stories that happened in a particular region. For more videos like this one, search for “Israel Tour.” Next Video