The Administration of Samaria in the Persian Period

From the extant sources, it is obvious that shortly after the Assyrian conquest, the former kingdom of Israel was incorporated into the Assyrian imperial administration as a province with the city of Samaria as its capital. Unfortunately, we have practically no documentation available on the administration of the province in the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods. This picture changes dramatically under Persian rule. Beginning with the late sixth century, the number of sources that relate to the province of Samaria, now called by its Aramaic name Shamrayn Medinta, expands exponentially. This article focuses on the administration of the Samarian province, its role within the Persian provincial system and its political and economic relationship with its neighboring regions, especially with Yehud. It explores this question by assessing the material evidence (e. g., the Elephantine documents, the Wadi Daliyeh bullae and papyri , the Persian-period Samarian coinage, and other material) and focuses primarily on the question of the so-called dynasty of the Sanballatide governors and the historical and literary-historical place of Ezra 4 and Neh 1-6.