Samaria
Samaria, also known as the Shomron (Hebrew: שֹׁמְרוֹן ) refers to the region between Galilee and Judea. At the time of Jesus, Samaria was the home of a few million Samaritans. The family of Jesus would have traveled through Samaria in their journey from Nazareth, to the north, to Jesus's birthplace in Bethlehem, to the south. Jesus and his disciples also had to cross through Samaria to travel from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Samaritans throughout Samaria accepted the Holy Spirit as brought to them by Peter and John, as described by Acts 8:14-17 :
| “ | Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.[1] | ” |
Jesus referred to Samaria in a way equal to Judea in Jesus's promise of the Holy Spirit shortly before his Ascension, as recounted in Acts 1:8 :
| “ | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.[2] | ” |
The name is derived from the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Israel, the city of Samaria, which was located near the center of modern Samaria. It is also referred to as the West Bank.
See also
- Mystery:Was John a Samaritan?
- Photographs of Scriptural Sites: Dothan in Samaria, scriptures.lds.org
