Sampsames
LocationsGeographical Setting
Sampsames is an ancient coastal settlement on the southern Black Sea, identified with the modern city of Samsun in Turkey.
What is the meaning of Sampsames in the Bible?
Sampsames is a location mentioned in 1 Maccabees 15:23, generally identified by scholars with the ancient city of Amisos, now Samsun, on the Turkish Black Sea coast. Alternative identifications appear in the Vulgate and Revised Version margins.
SIGNIFICANCE
Identifying Sampsames as Samsun clarifies the geopolitical landscape of the Hellenistic period, illustrating the extent of diplomatic and trade relations between Judea and the Pontic region during the Maccabean era.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.