Editing Samaria (section)

==Historical boundaries==
===Northern kingdom to Hellenistic period===
In [[Nelson's Encyclopaedia]] (1906–1934), the Samaria region in the three centuries following [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel]], i.e. during the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyrian]], [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylonian]], and [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] periods, is described as a "province" that "reached from the [Mediterranean] sea to the Jordan Valley".<ref name="Nelson">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Samaria |page=550 |editor-last=Finley |editor-first=John H. |editor-link=John Huston Finley |encyclopedia=[[Nelson's Encyclopaedia|Nelson's perpetual loose-leaf encyclopaedia: an international work of reference]] |publisher=Thomas Nelson & Sons |location=New York |volume=X |date=October 1926 |via=HathiTrust Digital Library |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858033993563&view=1up&seq=756 |access-date=13 December 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407142305/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858033993563&view=1up&seq=756 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Roman-period definition===
The classical Roman-Jewish historian [[Josephus]] wrote:{{quote|(4) Now as to the country of Samaria, it lies between Judea and Galilee; it begins at a village that is in the great plain called [[Jenin|Ginea]], and ends at the [[Aqraba, Nablus|Acrabbene]] [[Toparches|toparchy]], and is entirely of the same nature with Judea; for both countries are made up of hills and valleys, and are moist enough for agriculture, and are very fruitful. They have abundance of trees, and are full of autumnal fruit, both that which grows wild, and that which is the effect of cultivation. They are not naturally watered by many rivers, but derive their chief moisture from rain-water, of which they have no want; and for those rivers which they have, all their waters are exceeding sweet: by reason also of the excellent grass they have, their cattle yield more milk than do those in other places; and, what is the greatest sign of excellency and of abundance, they each of them are very full of people. (5) In the limits of Samaria and Judea lies the village Anuath, which is also named Borceos. This is the northern boundary of Judea.<ref name="War" />}}

During the first century, the boundary between Samaria and Judea passed eastward of [[Antipatris]], along the deep valley which had Beth Rima (now [[Bani Zeid al-Gharbia]]) and Beth Laban (today's [[al-Lubban al-Gharbi]]) on its southern, Judean bank; then it passed Anuath and Borceos, identified by [[Charles William Wilson]] (1836–1905) as the ruins of [[As-Sawiya|'Aina and Khirbet Berkit]]; and reached the [[Jordan Valley]] north of [[Aqraba, Nablus|Acrabbim]] and [[Alexandrium|Sartaba]].<ref>James Hastings (editor), ''A Dictionary of the Bible'', Volume III: (Part II: O - Pleiades), "Palestine: Geography", p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PJoFV6Et_0oC&pg=PA565 652], University Press of the Pacific, 2004, {{ISBN|978-1-4102-1727-1}}</ref> [[Tall Asur]] also stands at that boundary.