Topical Bible: Assyria: Israelites Subject To

◄ Assyria: Israelites Subject To ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Assyria, a dominant Mesopotamian empire, played a significant role in the history of the Israelites, particularly during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. The relationship between Assyria and the Israelites is marked by conquest, subjugation, and exile, as recorded in the biblical narrative.

Historical Context

Assyria emerged as a powerful empire in the ancient Near East, with its capital at Nineveh. Known for its military prowess and administrative efficiency, Assyria expanded its territory through conquest, becoming a formidable force in the region. The Assyrian Empire reached its zenith under kings such as Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, and Sennacherib.

Israel and Assyria

The northern kingdom of Israel first encountered Assyrian aggression during the reign of Menahem, who paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III to secure his throne (2 Kings 15:19-20). This marked the beginning of Israel's subjugation to Assyrian power. The biblical account highlights the political instability and idolatry in Israel, which led to divine judgment through Assyrian domination.

The Fall of Samaria

The most significant event in the Assyrian-Israelite relationship was the fall of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, in 722 BC. Shalmaneser V initiated the siege, and Sargon II completed the conquest, leading to the deportation of many Israelites. The Bible records, "The king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria" (2 Kings 17:6). This event fulfilled prophetic warnings about the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness to God.

Judah and Assyria

The southern kingdom of Judah also faced Assyrian threats. During the reign of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib invaded Judah, capturing fortified cities. However, Jerusalem was miraculously delivered when an angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35). This deliverance underscored God's sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenant with David.

Prophetic Perspectives

The prophets of Israel and Judah, such as Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, interpreted Assyrian dominance as a tool of divine judgment. Isaiah prophesied, "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath" (Isaiah 10:5). Despite Assyria's role as an instrument of punishment, the prophets also foretold its eventual downfall, emphasizing God's ultimate justice and the hope of restoration for His people.

Legacy and Impact

The Assyrian conquest and subsequent exile had profound effects on the Israelites. It led to the dispersion of the ten tribes, often referred to as the "Lost Tribes of Israel." The experience of subjugation and exile reinforced themes of repentance, faithfulness, and reliance on God, which resonate throughout the biblical narrative.

Assyria's interactions with the Israelites serve as a testament to the complexities of divine sovereignty, human agency, and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan in history.

Nave's Topical Index

Lamentations 5:6
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 4
... HISTORY OF EGYPT CHALDEA, SYRIA, BABYLONIA, AND ASSYRIA ... position, condemned to be
subject to neighbouring powers ... of the Phoenicians and the Israelites into Syria ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 4/title page.htm

We Arrive Now at a Branch of Our Subject Upon which the Lord's ...
... world, and that at a time when Israelites are again ... a brief but fairly comprehensive
outline of our subject. ... it is said, "And the king of Assyria brought men ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/we arrive now at a.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... Babylonia took the lead; the other subject nations followed ... then were the kingdoms
of Babylonia and Assyria. ... exercised an influence on the Israelites and their ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Phial the Sixth, on Euphrates.
... them (that is, the Syrians and the Israelites) the waters ... exochen,) strong and many,
the king of Assyria, and all ... and the probable truth of the subject-matter. ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/phial the sixth on euphrates.htm

The Christian's Book
... matter, everything in the universe is subject to Him. ... of other nations than the
Israelites, they describe ... of the great empires of Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study vi the christians book.htm

The Place of the Old Testament in Divine Revelation
... east and south it is always subject to the ... life the ancestors of the Israelites,
and during ... While their conquerors, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece ...
/.../the origin and permanent value of the old testament/iv the place of the.htm

Introduction
... he had been sent in chains to Assyria after an ... how, among other triumphs, "the
Israelites" had been ... of all the other vanquished or subject peoples mentioned in ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

Moses and his Writings
... by all save the learned scribes of Babylonia and Assyria. ... The Israelites had no time
to build anything better ... ancient Canaanitish cities, for the subject is of ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter iii moses and his.htm

Book 4 Footnotes
... that had prostituted themselves to the lewd Israelites, and the ... when he was a captive
in Assyria, against the ... to our Savior upon this very subject, Matthew 19:3 ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 4 footnotes.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... they censure the sins of the Israelites as severely ... Egypt, notwithstanding the covenant
made with Assyria, is the ... Assyrians, to whom he had become subject by a ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm