Zimri's Seven Days and the Purchase of the Hill of Samaria
Baasha's son is killed while drunk; a week later his killer burns down the palace over himself; and out of four years of turmoil comes Omri — who buys a hill from a man named Shemer and builds a capital on it.
Elah son of Baasha reigned two years. He was drinking himself drunk in Tirzah, in the house of Arza who was over the household, when Zimri, commander of half the chariots, came in and killed him. Zimri then destroyed the whole house of Baasha — exactly as Baasha had destroyed the house of Jeroboam.
Zimri's reign lasted seven days, the shortest in Scripture. The army encamped against Gibbethon — the same town where Nadab had died — heard the news and at once proclaimed its commander Omri king. The siege was lifted, the army marched on Tirzah and took it; Zimri went into the citadel of the royal house, burned it over himself, and died.
Four more years of divided rule followed: half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath and half followed Omri, until Tibni died. Omri reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
His great work was the capital. "He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built up the hill, and called the city he built Samaria, after Shemer, the owner of the hill." The choice was exact: a solitary hill in the middle of a valley, expensive to storm — Samaria would hold out against the Assyrian army for three years. The city's name would become the name of the whole Northern Kingdom, and in Assyrian inscriptions the house of Omri — Bit-Humri — would stand for Israel long after Omri's line had ended.
Sources
Tanakh
- Melachim I 16:8–10 — Ela drinking in the house of Artza, and Zimri's blow
- Melachim I 16:15–18 — Zimri's seven days and the burning of the royal house
- Melachim I 16:21–24 — Tivni and Omri; the purchase of the hill from Shemer for two talents of silver
Basis: stated in the Tanakh.