In terms of soil and water – its best natural resources – the hill country of Samaria surpasses that of its southern Judean neighbor. This was the region of the Old Testament tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, a land that the biblical writers described as the most blessed of all the tribal inheritances (Gen 49:22–26; Deut 33:13–17). It was also the heartland of the northern kingdom of Israel. Elevations in Samaria rarely exceed 750 meters, which results in moderate wintertime temperatures.
A network of broad alluvial valleys runs through the center of the hill country, giving Samaria a mixed and fertile economic base. The natural routes connecting these valleys also join Samaria to the outside world, opening its people to foreign religious and cultural influences. Samaria's population in the first century was mixed Samaritan and gentile, and Jews traveling between Jerusalem and Galilee preferred to avoid the region altogether.
