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, Samaria.
He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer, х haahaar (H2022) Shomªrown (H8111) the mountain Shomeron (watch-post); Chaldee, Shomªrayin, whence came the Greek Samaria; Septuagint, to oros to Semeroon]. The palace of Tirzah being in ruins, Omri, in selecting the site of his royal residence was naturally influenced by considerations both of pleasure and advantage. In the center of a wide amphitheater of mountains, about six miles from Shechem, rises an oblong hill, with steep yet accessible sides and a long flat top, extending east and west, and rising 500 or 600 feet above the valley. What Omri in all probability built as a mere palatial residence became the capital of the kingdom, instead of Shechem. It was as though Versailles had taken the place of Paris, or Windsor of London. The choice of Omri was admirable, in selecting a position which combined, in a union not elsewhere-certainly not in Jerusalem-found in Palestine, strength, beauty, and fertility (Josephus, 'Antiquities,' b. 15:, ch. 8:, sec. 5; 'Jewish Wars,' b. 1:, ch. 21:, sec. 2; Robinson's 'Biblical Researches,' 3: p. 138-149; Stanley, 'Sinai and Palestine,' pp. 240-242). It was called by Herod, in honour of Augustus, Sebaste, the Greek translation of Augusta, now Sebustieh.
Two talents of silver - 684 pounds sterling. Shemer had probably made it a condition of the sale, that the name should be retained. But as city and palace were built there by Omri, it was in accordance with Eastern custom to call it after the founder. The Assyrians did so; and on a tablet dug out of the ruins of Nineveh an inscription was found relating to Samaria, which is called Beth-khumri-the house of Omri (Layard, 'Nineveh and Babylon,' p. 613; see the notes at 2 Kings 17:5).