Samaria, or Shemer’s Hill
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(watch-place) (1 Kings 16:24)—the hill that Omri king of Israel bought from its owner Shemer and upon which he built Samaria, naming the city after Shemer. In the source’s day the summit was built over and the slopes were encircled by terraces, with higher traces that may have marked the ancient roads. The surrounding hills were largely cultivated and dotted with villages and gardens.