Who were the nations mentioned in Ezra 4:10, and why were they relocated to Samaria? Historical Setting After the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC, the Assyrian Empire implemented a standing policy of mass deportation (cf. 2 Kings 17:6, 24). Ezra 4 records a later wave of that same policy—this time under “the great and illustrious Asnapper” (Ezra 4:10), the throne-name by which the Bible remembers Ashurbanipal (669–627 BC). By his reign Samaria had already experienced two transplantations (under Shalmaneser V/Sargon II and Esar-haddon), but Ashurbanipal completed the repopulation program, consolidating the mixed peoples who would become the ancestors of the Samaritans (Ezra 4:2, 10). Identity of Asnapper (Ashurbanipal) • Assyrian royal annals from Nineveh (Prism A, British Museum BM 91 026; ANET 281-84) list the capture of “citizens of Kar-Samerina” and record their redistribution across the empire—a point that dovetails with Ezra’s notice of relocation. • Babylonian Chronicle Series A (ABC 15, lines 10-12) notes fresh deportations c. 669-668 BC into the province “Eber-nāri” (West-of-the-River), the same administrative term Ezra uses (“beyond the Euphrates,” 4:10). Text of Ezra 4:9-10 “…the judges and magistrates over the people of Persia, Erech, Babylon, and Susa (that is, the Elamites), and the Dehavites, and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Asnapper deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates.” Catalogue of Nations 1. Persians (Parsa) – Colonists from the southwestern Iranian plateau, then vassals under Assyria’s reach. 2. Erechites (Uruk) – Inhabitants of Uruk on the Euphrates; archaeologists have confirmed seventh-century destruction layers at Uruk attributable to Assyrian campaigns (Uruk-Warka Excavation, 1928-39, Level IV). 3. Babylonians (Babel) – Citizens of Babylon, politically volatile; mass transfer diluted resistance. 4. Susanchites / Elamites (Shushan/Susa in ancient Elam) – Known for bilingual Akkadian-Elamite tablets discovered at the Acropole of Susa (Délégation en Perse, 1902). 5. Dehavites (Old Persian “Daha,” a Median-related tribe) – Mentioned in the Behistun Inscription §26 as part of imperial levies, confirming their existence just east of the Caspian. 6. Additional earlier settlers (2 Kings 17:24, 30-31) – People of Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, Sepharvaim, plus their imported deities (Succoth-Benoth, Nergal, Ashima, et al.). These groups remained in the land and inter-married with the newcomers. Why Samaria? 1. Political Control – Resettlement cut ethnic ties, curbing rebellion (Assyrian Policy Edict K.2672). 2. Economic Recovery – The fertile highlands and trade corridors needed taxpayers and garrisons. 3. Religious Pacification – A mosaic of faiths neutralized any single nationalist cult; when local lions threatened, Assyria sent a priest of Yahweh to teach “the manner of the God of the land” (2 Kings 17:27-28). 4. Strategic Buffer – Samaria sat astride the Via Maris; stocking it with loyal colonists protected the imperial frontier against Egypt. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • Sargon II’s Nimrud Tablet K .3751: “I resettled 27,290 inhabitants of Samaria… I placed them in the cities of the Medes.” • Esar-haddon Prism B (lines 55-63): lists “Chaldeans, Arameans, Elamites, and citizens of Samerina” transported throughout “Ebir-nari.” • Seventh-century pottery from Tell el-Far’ah (North) shows Mesopotamian forms (torpedo jars, red-slip bowls), matching the influx period. • Cultic installations on Mount Gerizim (excavated 1982-86) reveal syncretistic worship strata coinciding with the mixed population described in Kings and Ezra. Theological Implications God’s sovereignty over the nations (Isaiah 10:5-15) is illustrated as He disciplines Israel yet preserves a remnant (2 Kings 17:13-18). The mixed Samarian population sets the stage for later redemptive encounters—most notably Jesus’ self-revelation to the Samaritan woman (John 4), proving that salvation history—culminating in the resurrection—reaches across ethnic lines (Acts 1:8). Practical Takeaways • Syncretism breeds confusion; pure worship requires covenant fidelity (Ezra 9:1-2). • God ordains even imperial policies to advance His purposes (Romans 13:1). • Historical and archaeological data continually affirm Scriptural detail, undergirding confidence in the inerrant Word. Summary The nations in Ezra 4:10 were a constellation of Persian, Mesopotamian, and Elamite peoples transplanted by Ashurbanipal to repopulate Samaria after Israel’s exile. Their relocation served Assyrian political strategy, fulfilled prophetic warnings, and shaped the socio-religious landscape into which the Gospel would later advance. |
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