The quest for the historical Israel is fraught. But, by taking a closer look at the capitol of the Northern Kingdom some answers are possible. Through comparative analyses of archaeological sites in the Phoenician homeland and ancient texts, the Samaria's history comes into higher relief and its Phoenician origins are evident. Far from being part of the putative Davidic Kingdom and Judah's sister, Samaria was independent and worked with multiple groups up to the invasion of Assyria in 722BCE. Its ties to Phoenician cities are stronger than those to Judah. Shechem and Jezreel also reveal some interesting ties; those may be Israelite cities, but not in the traditional sense. Shaking up conventional ideas of the historical Israel, this volume also explores the importance of the Biblical text and the acts of mythopoesis that brought Samarians, Judaeans, and other groups under a new ethnic identity after Assyria's invasion and beyond, Israel.
