Shemer, Owner of the Hill of Samaria

Background and Family

The biblical record is silent regarding the lineage of Shemer. He appears abruptly in the narrative of 1 Kings 16 during the reign of Omri (c. 885–874 BC). Though his tribal affiliation is not explicitly stated, his ownership of the hill suggests he may have belonged to the tribe of Ephraim or Manasseh, within whose ancestral territories the land was located. The fact that he held significant property during a period of civil unrest and shifting dynasties indicates he was a man of some local standing or inherited wealth.

Major Life Events

The sole event recorded in Shemer's life is the sale of his property to the crown. Following the death of Zimri and the subsequent civil war between Omri and Tibni, Omri emerged as the sole ruler of Israel. Seeking to establish a new, fortified administrative center, Omri looked toward a strategic hilltop.

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill. (1 Kings 16:24)

The purchase price of two talents of silver was a substantial sum, equivalent to approximately 150 pounds or 68 kilograms of silver. This transaction represents one of the few instances in the Old Testament where a specific land purchase price is recorded, alongside Abraham’s purchase of Machpelah and David’s purchase of the threshing floor of Araunah.

Relationship to Other Biblical Figures

Shemer’s only recorded interaction is his business dealing with King Omri. There is no evidence in the text of a familial or social relationship between the two. Unlike Naboth, who famously refused to sell his ancestral vineyard to King Ahab (Omri’s son), Shemer apparently agreed to the sale, facilitating the establishment of the Omride dynasty’s new power center.

Spiritual Significance

While Shemer is not presented as a spiritual figure, the city named after him—Samaria—became a central focus of prophetic warnings and historical judgment. The hill Shemer once owned evolved from a private estate into a city synonymous with the Northern Kingdom’s political identity and, eventually, its spiritual apostasy. By allowing his name to be attached to the city (Hebrew: Shomron), Shemer’s identity became permanently linked to the site that would later be denounced by prophets like Amos and Hosea, yet remained a landmark throughout the New Testament era.