Topic summary
Judea and Samaria
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Judea and Samaria Area.
Historical and biblical significance
The Judea and Samaria Area covers a portion of the territory designated by the historical and biblical names of Judea and Samaria. Both names are tied to the ancient Israelite kingdoms: the former corresponds to part of the Kingdom of Judah, also known as the Southern Kingdom; and the latter corresponds to part of the Kingdom of Israel, also known as the Northern Kingdom. In 1947, the terminology was noted by the United Nations in the Partition Plan for Palestine with the statement: "the boundary of the hill country of Samaria and Judea starts on the Jordan River..." The modern term used by the Israeli government does not map precisely with the geography of the historical/biblical areas, which in tradition extended beyond the West Bank to include Beersheba and Caesarea.