Samaria

Shomron is an important part of both the Biblical heartland and the modern State of Israel. In the Bible, King Omri purchased the city of Shomron from a man named Shemer and made it the capital of the kingdom of Israel. During the Second Temple period, King Herod renamed the city Sebaste or Sebastia. 

The name Samaria/Shomron is also used for the central region of the Land of Israel which roughly corresponds to the lands of the tribes of Ephraim and the western part of Manasseh. Today, the area of Shomron plays a vital role in the spirituality, economics and security of the country.