Neo-Assyrian Period

The Neo-Assyrian Period goes from 722 BCE to 626 BCE.

Survey

• 722/1 BCE -- The Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel-Samaria was the result of the expansion of the neo-Assyrian Empire. Israel had already been reduced from the status of an ally of Assyria to its colony by King Shalmaneser of Assyria (727-722). Now, King Sargon II of Assyria (722-705) converted Israel into an Assyrian province after King Hoshea signed a treaty with the Pharaoh of Egupt and defaulted on his tax payments to Assyria in an unsuccessful attempt to regain independence. The Israelite population was exiled and replaced by Assyrian colonists (it is these people who later become known as the Samaritans; see the Annals of Sargon II and 2 Kings 17).

Judea, led by king Ahaz (735-716), was then a small and rather obscure kingdom--a colony of Samaria ("Ahaz walked in the way of the kings of Israel," 2 Kings 16:3). See 2 Kings 16.

• 715-687 BCE -- The new king of Judah, Hezekiah, Ahaz's son, tried to take advantage of the Fall of the northern kingdom to move toward political and religious autonomy (see 2 Kings 18-20). His political and religious reforms found the support of the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 36-39), Hezekiah not only eliminated idols, divination practices, and human sacrifice, but he also did away with cult objects long associated wit YHWH (such as the bronze snake which was reputes to have been made by Moses, see 2 Kings 18:4). Hezekiah's anti-Assyrian policy led him to negotiate a treaty with Egypt, in spite of Isaiah's warnings (see Isaiah 30:1-7; 31:1-3).