Biblical References:
Halah is mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the context of the Assyrian exile of the Israelites. The primary references to Halah are found in 2 Kings 17:6, 2 Kings 18:11, and 1 Chronicles 5:26.

Historical Context:
Halah was one of the locations to which the Assyrian Empire exiled the Israelites after the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This event occurred during the reign of King Hoshea, the last king of Israel, when Shalmaneser V, the king of Assyria, besieged Samaria and captured it. The Assyrians were known for their policy of deporting conquered peoples to distant lands to prevent rebellion and to assimilate them into the empire.

Geographical Location:
The exact location of Halah is not definitively known, but it is generally believed to have been situated in the region of Mesopotamia, possibly near the Habor River, which is mentioned alongside Halah in the biblical texts. This area would be in the vicinity of modern-day northern Iraq or southeastern Turkey.

Biblical Significance:
Halah holds significance as a symbol of the judgment and consequences faced by the Northern Kingdom of Israel due to their disobedience and idolatry. The deportation to Halah and other locations marked the end of the Northern Kingdom as a political entity and served as a fulfillment of the prophetic warnings given by prophets such as Amos and Hosea.

Scriptural Citations:

· 2 Kings 17:6 : "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes."

· 2 Kings 18:11 : "The king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, along the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes."

· 1 Chronicles 5:26 : "So the God of Israel stirred the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria), and he took the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day."

Theological Implications:
The exile to Halah and other regions underscores the themes of divine justice and the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. It serves as a historical reminder of the importance of obedience to God's commandments and the dangers of turning away from His statutes. The dispersion of the Israelites also set the stage for the later prophetic promises of restoration and the hope of a remnant returning to the land.

Cultural and Archaeological Insights:
While specific archaeological evidence for Halah is limited, the broader context of Assyrian deportation practices is well-documented. The Assyrians were known for their advanced administrative systems and infrastructure, which facilitated the movement and resettlement of large populations. This historical backdrop provides insight into the experiences of the exiled Israelites and the challenges they faced in maintaining their identity and faith in foreign lands.Halah

a moist table

Halah

is probably a different place from the Calah of (Genesis 10:11) It may be identified with the Chalcitis of Ptolemy.

Halah

2 Kings 17:6. See HABOR.

A district of Media to which captive Israelites were transported by the Assyrian kings (2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; 1 Chronicles 5:26). It lay along the banks of the upper Khabur, from its source to its junction with the Jerujer. Probably the district called by Ptolemy Chalcitis. HALAH

ha'-la (chalach; Halae, Hallae, Chaach, for Chalach, Chala; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Hala):

1. Many Identifications:

Mentioned in 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11 1 Chronicles 5:26, as one of the places to which the kings of Assyria sent the exiled Israelites (see GOZAN; HABOR). Various identifications have been proposed, all of them except the last more or less improbable for philological reasons:

(1) the Assyrian Kalach (Nimrud, the Calah of Genesis 10:11);

(2) the Assyrian Hilakku (Cilicia);

(3) Chalkitis in Mesopotamia (Ptol. v.18, 4), adjoining Gauzanitis (Gozan)-a good position otherwise;

(4) the Calachene of Strabo, in the North of Assyria. Equally unsuitable, also, is

(5) the Chalonitis of Pliny and Strabo, Northeast of Assyria, notwithstanding that this was apparently called Halah by the Syrians. An attractive identification was

(6) with the river Balikh (by change of "H" into "B")-compare Septuagint "in Halae and in Habor, rivers of Gozan"-but even this has to be abandoned in favor of

(7) the Assyrian Halahhu, which (except the doubling and the case-ending) is the same, letter for letter.

2. The Most Probable of Them:

It is mentioned in the W. Asia Inscr, II, plural 53, l. 35, between Arrapha (Arrapachitis) and Racappu (Reseph). According to the tablet K. 123, where it is called mat Halahhi, "the land of Halahhu," it apparently included the towns Se-bise, Se-irrisi, Lu-ammu(ti?), and Se-Akkulani, apparently four grain-producing centers for the Assyrian government. The first quotation implies that Halah was near or in Gauzanitis, and had a chief town of the same name. Of the 8 personal names in K. 123, 5 are Assyrian, the remainder being Syrian rather than Israelite.

T. G. Pinches

2477. Chalach -- an area under Assyr. control
... an area under Assyr. control. Transliteration: Chalach Phonetic Spelling:
(khal-akh') Short Definition: Halah. ... control NASB Word Usage Halah (3). Halah. ...
/hebrew/2477.htm - 6k

1988. halom -- hith-er
... here, hitherto, thither. From the article (see halah); hither -- here,
hither(-(to)), thither. see HEBREW halah. 1987, 1988. halom. 1989 . Strong's
/hebrew/1988.htm - 6k

1976. hallazeh -- this
... pronoun Definition this NASB Word Usage this (2). this. From the article (see halah)
and zeh; this very -- this. see HEBREW halah. see HEBREW zeh. 1975, 1976 ...
/hebrew/1976.htm - 6k

1972. hala -- to be removed far off
... cast far off. Probably denominatively from halah; to remove or be remote -- cast
far off. see HEBREW halah. 1971, 1972. hala. 1973 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1972.htm - 6k

The Woman of Samaria
... And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah
and in Habor by the river of Gozon, and in the cities of the Medes: because ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

A Kingdom's Epitaph
... 'In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel
away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a kingdoms epitaph.htm

Halah (4 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. HALAH. ... The first quotation implies that Halah was
near or in Gauzanitis, and had a chief town of the same name. ...
/h/halah.htm - 10k

Gozan (5 Occurrences)
... It became an Assyrian province, and rebelled in 759 BC, but was again reduced to
subjection. See HABOR; HALAH. James Orr. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/g/gozan.htm - 10k

Removeth (27 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 in the ninth year of Hoshea hath the king of Asshur captured Samaria,
and removeth Israel to Asshur, and causeth them to dwell in Halah, and in ...
/r/removeth.htm - 14k

Habor (3 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried
Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the ...
/h/habor.htm - 10k

Exile (101 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried
Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the ...
/e/exile.htm - 43k

Deported (12 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried
Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the ...
/d/deported.htm - 10k

Tiglath-pileser (6 Occurrences)
... pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites and the
Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor ...
/t/tiglath-pileser.htm - 12k

Hara (1 Occurrence)
... ha'-ra (hara'; Septuagint omits): A place named in 1 Chronicles 5:26 along with
Halah, Habor and the river of Gozan, whither the Reubenites, the Gadites and ...
/h/hara.htm - 8k

Medes (15 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried
Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the ...
/m/medes.htm - 18k

Placing (44 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and
took Israel away to Assyria, placing them in Halah and in Habor on the river ...
/p/placing.htm - 20k

When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Assyria in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was King Hoshea in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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