Tirza (biblical place)
Coordinates: 32 ° 17 ′ 14.6 ″ N , 35 ° 20 ′ 16.1 ″ E
Tirza ( Hebrew תרצה, for the meaning see Thirza ), also written Thirza , is an ancient city near Samaria in central Palestine . It is mentioned several times in the Bible and is identified with today's Tell el-Fārʿa .
geography
The city was about 9 km east of Samaria ( Jos 12.24 EU ), was known as remarkable for its beauty ( Hld 6.4 EU ) and was the capital of the northern Israeli Empire until King Omri ( 1 Kings 14.17 EU ) ( 1 Kings 15.21–33 EU ) ( 1 Kings 16.6 EU ). According to the Bible, Tirza was taken by Joshua . In later times, Jeroboam I , the first king of the northern kingdom after the biblical division of the kingdom, lived there . Zimri set fire to the city when he was trapped by Omri ( 1 Kings 16,17ff EU ). After six years, Omri moved the capital to Samaria, which he had newly founded there.
literature
- Israel Finkelstein : The Forgotten Kingdom. Israel and the hidden origins of the Bible. CHBeck, 2014, ISBN 978-3-406-66961-3 , chapter Tirza as the residence of the first kings, pp. Xxiv ff.