Assyria Attacks Israel

The Assyrians Attack the Northern Kingdom of Israel

About 100 miles south of Damascus was Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Tiglath-pilesar III�s mighty army headed southward toward Samaria crushing every town and village along the way and sending off many into captivity and assigning new Assyrian governors to rule in the new provinces. It was now Israel�s turn to be attacked, the outer districts fell rather easily.

The Assyrian chronicles record this campaign stating:

"All its people I took away to Assyria."

This was referring not to Samaria but to the surrounding districts that were made into Assyrian provinces.

Interesting Note: Israel lost the territory of Galilee first to Assyrian invasion because of their wickedness. As predicted by the prophet Isaiah (9:1-2), Galilee would also be the first to hear the Messiah.

The entire countryside was stripped of her people. Hoshea was made a puppet governor (vassal) in Samaria and king Pekah was assassinated.

Assyria was now ruling an empire that stretched from the Persian Gulf up and around the Fertile Crescent and south to the borders of Egypt and Shalmaneser V took the throne of Assyria in 727 B.C.

The Bible records this transaction:

2 Kings 17:5 - "Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years."