Assyria: The name derived from the city Asshur on the Tigris, the original
capital of the country, was originally a colony from Babylonia, and
was ruled by viceroys from that kingdom. It was a mountainous region
lying to the north of Babylonia, extending along the Tigris as far as
to the high mountain range of Armenia, the Gordiaean or Carduchian
mountains. It was founded in B.C. 1700 under Bel-kap-kapu, and
became an independent and a conquering power, and shook off the yoke
of its Babylonian masters. It subdued the whole of Northern Asia. The
Assyrians were Semites
(Genesis 10:22) but in process of time non-Semite
tribes mingled with the inhabitants. They were a military people, the
"Romans of the East." Of the early history of the kingdom of Assyria
little is positively known. In B.C. 1120 Tiglath-pileser I., the
greatest of the Assyrian kings, "crossed the Euphrates, defeated the
kings of the Hittites, captured the city of Carchemish, and advanced
as far as the shores of the Mediterranean." He may be regarded as the
founder of the first Assyrian empire. After this the Assyrians
gradually extended their power, subjugating the states of Northern
Syria. In the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, Shalmaneser II. marched
an army against the Syrian states, whose allied army he encountered
and vanquished at Karkar. This led to Ahab's casting off the yoke of
Damascus and allying himself with Judah. Some years after this the
Assyrian king marched an army against Hazael, king of Damascus. He
besieged and took that city. He also brought under tribute Jehu, and
the cities of Tyre and Sidon. About a hundred years after this (B.C.
745 the crown was seized by a military adventurer called Pul, who
assumed the name of Tiglath-pileser III. He directed his armies into
Syria, which had by this time regained its independence, and took
(B.C. 740) Arpad, near Aleppo, after a siege of three years, and
reduced Hamath. Azariah (Uzziah) was an ally of the king of Hamath,
and thus was compelled by Tiglath-pileser to do him homage and pay a
yearly tribute. In B.C. 738 in the reign of Menahem, king of Israel,
Pul invaded Israel, and imposed on it a heavy tribute
(2 Kings 15:19)
Ahaz, the king of Judah, when engaged in a war against Israel and
Syria, appealed for help to this Assyrian king by means of a present
of gold and silver
(2 Kings 16:8) who accordingly "marched against
Damascus, defeated and put Rezin to death, and besieged the city
itself." Leaving a portion of his army to continue the siege, "he
advanced through the province east of Jordan, spreading fire and
sword," and became master of Philistia, and took Samaria and
Damascus. He died B.C. 727 and was succeeded by Shalmanezer IV.,
who ruled till B.C. 722 He also invaded Syria
(2 Kings 17:5) but was
deposed in favour of Sargon (q.v.) the Tartan, or commander-in-chief
of the army, who took Samaria (q.v.) after a siege of three years,
and so put an end to the kingdom of Israel, carrying the people away
into captivity, B.C. 722
(2 Kings 17:1-6,24; 18:7,9) He also overran the
land of Judah, and took the city of Jerusalem
(Isaiah 10:6,12,22,24,34)
Mention is next made of Sennacherib (B.C. 705) the son and successor
of Sargon
(2 Kings 18:13; 19:37; Isaiah 7:17,18) and then of Esar-haddon, his
son and successor, who took Manasseh, king of Judah, captive, and
kept him for some time a prisoner at Babylon, which he alone of all
the Assyrian kings made the seat of his government
(2 Kings 19:37)
(Isaiah 37:38) Assur-bani-pal, the son of Esarhaddon, became king, and
in
(Ezra 4:10) is referred to as Asnapper. From an early period Assyria
had entered on a conquering career, and having absorbed Babylon, the
kingdoms of Hamath, Damascus, and Samaria, it conquered Phoenicia,
and made Judea feudatory, and subjected Philistia and Idumea. At
length, however, its power declined. In B.C. 727 the Babylonians
threw off the rule of the Assyrians, under the leadership of the
powerful Chaldean prince Merodach-baladan
(2 Kings 20:12) who, after
twelve years, was subdued by Sargon, who now reunited the kingdom,
and ruled over a vast empire. But on his death the smouldering flames
of rebellion again burst forth, and the Babylonians and Medes
successfully asserted their independence (B.C. 625) and Assyria fell
according to the prophecies of Isaiah
(Isaiah 10:5-19) Nahum
(Nahum 3:19) and
(Zeph 3:13) and the many separate kingdoms of which it was composed
ceased to recognize the "great king"
(2 Kings 18:19; Isaiah 36:4) attests
(about B.C. 586) how completely Assyria was overthrown. It ceases to be
a nation.
