Sharon, Saron

Sharon (Greek Saron) was the fertile coastal plain of ancient Palestine extending approximately 50 miles from Joppa northward to Mount Carmel, bounded on the east by the Samarian hill country. It was known in antiquity for its exceptional agricultural richness, oak forests, and pasture lands — described as the domain of David's flocks (1 Chr. 27:29). Isaiah's messianic visions picture Sharon's transformation from glory to desolation and back to abundance (Isa. 33:9; 35:2; 65:10), and the promised servant of the LORD will "see it and be satisfied" in the day of Israel's restoration. The beloved in the Song of Solomon declares herself "a rose [or crocus] of Sharon" (Song 2:1), an enduring expression of natural beauty. In the NT, the inhabitants of "all Lydda and Saron" saw the healing of Aeneas and turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35), indicating a thriving population in the plain by apostolic times.