“In the thirty-first year of King Asa of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel. He reigned for twelve years. Six of those years he reigned in Tirzah. He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He fortified the hill. He called the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.”
King Omri moved the residence of the king from Tirzah to Samaria. He bought the hill very cheaply for about $20,000 USA from someone called Shemer. He may have named the hill after him. From now on, this town of Samaria, which is 30 miles north of Jerusalem and 6 miles northwest of Shechem, will be the capital of the 10 northern tribes of Israel. Samaria will be their city in opposition to Jerusalem. In fact, the territory around it will be called Samaria and the people Samaritans by the time of Jesus.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 