Page 21 - The Minor Prophets - Student textbook

while he was young. In his later years Joash turned to idolatry. The prophets saw it as God’s judgment
when the Syrians attacked Judah and plundered Jerusalem.

Both Jehoahaz (c. 815-801) and Joash (c. 801-786) of Israel continued to resist Syrian raids, which
reached as far as an unsuccessful siege of Samaria itself. In their resistance to Syria the kings of Israel
were encouraged by the prophet Elisha.

Jeroboam II (c. 786-746), the son of Joash, brought the Kingdom of Israel to its greatest extent and
prosperity. He not only recovered Trans-Jordan from Syria, but also conquered Damascus itself. The
material prosperity of Israel is illustrated by large buildings which have been discovered in Samaria,
Megiddo, and Tirzah. But beside the great buildings in Tirzah, for example, are the remains of hovels,
evidencing the injustice to the poor which the prophet Amos condemned. In Samaria from Jeroboam’s
time there have been found many tax receipts written on potsherds. These receipts indicate prosperity,
and the names on the receipts are compounded not only with Yahweh, like Jedaiah, but also with Baal,
like Elibaal, evidences of the combination of Yahwism and idolatry denounced by Hosea and Amos. One
reason for the prosperity and expansion of Israel under Jeroboam was the absence of aggression from
the great powers of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

In the latter 8th century, Judah came under Assyrian dominance, but was not wiped out. Ahaz of Judah
(c. 735-715) refused to join Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Damascus in an alliance against Assyria. When
the latter two kings attacked Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah urged Ahaz to trust in God for deliverance.
Ahaz sent gifts to Tiglathpileser of Assyria and asked his help. The Assyrians subdued both Syria and
Israel and exacted tribute from Ahaz also. Ahaz forsook the worship of Yahweh and adopted an
Assyrian type of altar.

Since the Assyrians came from the North, Israel more keenly than Judah felt the force of their
expansion under Tiglathpileser III (c. 745-727). This king forced Menahem (c. 745-738) of Israel to pay
tribute in 738. Pekah (c. 737-732) of Israel and Rezin of Damascus made an alliance to resist Assyria.
Nevertheless in 732 Tiglathpileser captured Damascus and took away from Israel the Mediterranean
coast to the W, Galilee in the N, and Gilead to the E, carrying many Israelites into exile. When Hoshea
(c. 732-724), the king of the remnant of Israel, refused to pay tribute to Assyria and turned for help to
Egypt, Shalmaneser V of Assyria began the siege of Samaria.

The fall of Samaria (722 BCE)

Samaria withstood the Assyrian siege for three years, but the city finally fell in 722, shortly before the
death of Shalmaneser. His son Sargon doubtless assisted in the siege and claims credit for the capture
of the city. Sargon states that he carried away captive 27,290 Israelites, and the Bible indicates that
they were taken to northwestern Mesopotamia and to Media. In place of the deported Israelites the
Assyrians introduced settlers from Babylonia and Syria, who brought their idols with them. In time
these pagan settlers were assimilated to the remaining Israelites and to Yahwism. So the later
Samaritans were a mixture of Israelite and foreign elements and were therefore despised by the
Judeans.

20