BIBLE PLACES | TIRZAH

1. Tirzah

a) Tirzah was one of the cities captured by Joshua (Joshua 12:24). Later, it became the capitol of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam and the following 4 kings of Israel reigned there until the days of Omri. 

b) King Elah was murdered by one of his generals, Zimri, who named himself king. But when the Israeli army heard this, they marched to Tirzah and took over the city. Zimri seeing the situation was hopeless, set the palace on fire and died in the flames (1 Kings 16:15-18). 

c) Omri, the commander in chief of the army, then became king. Omri reigned in Tirzah for 6 years before buying land in Samaria and building his palace there. Menahem killed King Shallum and named himself king, and because the people of Tirzah did not accept him, he ransacked the area. 

d) In Song of Solomon 6:4, the land of Tirzah is called beautiful. Tirzah is identified with Tell al Fariah which is north of Shekham (Nabulus) and east of Samaria (Shomron). Excavations uncovered layers of history as ancient as an Assyrian fort in the late 8th century BC.