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After the death of King Solomon, the Israelite kingdom was split. In the south was the kingdom of Judea with its capital Jerusalem and the Holy Temple on Mt. Moriah. In the North was the kingdom of Israel ruled by a number of kings from different Israelite families. The holy shrines were established in Beth El and Dan replacing the Temple in Jerusalem. After a long period of instability, King Omri decided to establish the capital Shomron (named after the original owner of the area: Shemer). The Bible recalls this kingdom and its kings as sinners, yet so many biblical stories from the book of kings take place in the city. Walking in its ancient streets, you can still hear the chastising of the prophet Elijah and the scorning of King Ahab. The prophet Elisha's comforting prophecies to the citizens of the city starving for food during the siege of the army of Aram. In the early Christian period Sebastia became a pilgrimage destination, as the site of John the Baptist’s tomb. A church was constructed over the tomb during the Byzantine period (5th century), later reconstructed during the Crusader period (12th century), Lipkin Tours organizes weekly tours to the ancient city of Samaria also known as Sebastia (the name of the city during the Roman period). Price per person: $75. Price includes:
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