The Conquests of Assyria and Babylon Against Israel - When?

gideon123

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OK ... new question.
Who are our experts on the history of Israel, during the time of the exile. My historical concepts are blurry here, and I need some help.

1. It appears that the northern kingdoms of Israel were attacked by the Assyrians. This would mean that after that conquest, the 10 tribes in the north of Israel were scattered (geographically). When did this happen? And when did these people return?

2. Meanwhile, the south of Israel, that is "Judah, was attacked by the Babylonians and taken captive ... sent as slaves to Babylon.

Can someone help me to understand the years (as best we can piece them together) when these two events took place? Were they simultaneous?

Also, when we read the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah in the OT, they seem to be addressing the people of Jerusalem, and predicting the fall and conquest (conquest by the Babylonians). Does this mean that the words from Isaiah and Jeremiah were directed only to the people of Judah, because the northern tribes had already fallen (i.e. northern Israel was already scattered by the Assyrians)?

Thanks for any help!
Gideon
 

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The Northern Kingdom fell to the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, when Samaria, its capital, was taken by Sargon II. This followed a piecemeal conquest under Tiglath-Pileser III the preceding 40 years. We read of large scale resettlement of Samarian captives under both these kings in Assyrian tablets.

The Kingdom of Judah fell to Nebuchadnezzer II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BC, so about a 140 years later. Jerusalem was sacked and the elites taken to Babylonia.

Samaria was destroyed by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which itself fell prey to the Medes and Babylonians; the latter then built their own Empire in former Assyrian territory. They then destroyed Judah some years later. Both took significant portions of the populations, likely elites and artisans, and resettled them in Mesopotamia - but at different times and to different segments of Mesopotamia.
 
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gideon123

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thank you for all of these replies. VERY helpful.

So then ... we know that both Isaiah and Jeremiah were well aware of the fall of the northern Kingdom. I need to go back and read their words again, to see if they reference that.

Do we know if the captives who were taken by the Assyrians ever returned to Israel? Did they vanish forever? Or were there scattered individuals who returned?

Also, if the fall of the northern Kingdom happened over a few decades, then I have to imagine that some people fled the North, and took refuge in the South. Surely Judah would have taken them in. Is there any mention of this in the Bible ... refugees from the ten tribes of the north who fled to Judah, when the Assyrians began attacking?

There are a lot of "pieces to the puzzle" ... this was a complicated series of events.

Thanks!
 
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....
Do we know if the captives who were taken by the Assyrians ever returned to Israel? Did they vanish forever? Or were there scattered individuals who returned?..
Rehoboam must have mustered every available fighting man, as he anticipated war with a kingdom far outnumbering his in population. Just seventeen years later in the Southern Kingdom under the reign of Abijah another army was gathered, and this time it numbers 400,000. The increase of 220,000 in 17 years should be noted (2Chr. 2Chr. 13:3). Just three years later another army is mobilized under Asa and the size is given as 580,000 (2Chr. 2Chr. 14:8). Within a period of twenty years there has been an increase in the available army of Judah of 400,000 men. The only reasonable explanation of this phenomenal increase in population in the Southern Kingdom is the explanation given in the Word of God. The immigrants from the northern tribes strengthened the Kingdom of Judah.12
17.3.1. Northern Kingdom Falls to Assyria Commentary - A Testimony of Jesus Christ

ETA there's a graph of biblical events surrounding that time frame in the link that's of interest.
 
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gideon123

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Thanks ... I will read all Bible passages that are referenced. vinsight4u ... I didn't read clearly your remarks about Jeremiah 46, but I do see the comment now. Thanks also for the comments linking past and future - Jeremiah and Revelations. I agree, the events that are prophesied are not over ... the hand of God is still in motion. That is also very clear in the chapters in Isaiah, especially 63-65.

I am reading both Isaiah and Jeremiah in detail. I want to make sure that I notice - if they are talking about events in the N. Kingdom, or in Judah. It seems that they should talk about both. And indeed, from the helpful comments, they apparently did that.

Also Cassia - thanks for the very helpful comments about the size of the armies. Yes, it certainly appears that the size of the group of warriors swelled enormously ... from fighters who had fled the N. Kingdom.

I still don't see a clear answer - about the fate of the tribes from N. Israel after it was devastated by Assyria. Did they disappear forever?
 
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Why do you make Sargon II as the last Assyrian king to conquer Samaria? He was the brother of Shalmaneser that 2 Kings mentions as to carrying Israel away into Assyria. I know that the same year he took Samaria away is also the same year or so that history shows he died. Both of these are the sons of Tiglathpileser. What I don't know is who carried off Manasseh to Babylon - he was an Assyrian king and how did that king get back to his land of Judah? He was the son of Hezekiah and was very wicked, until he was taken captive to Babylon. In Babylon is where he became humble and God restored him back to Judah. How did he get him back there? This was before the time of Babylon taking Judah.
It is just taking the fall of Samaria as the convenient point for the conquest of the Northern Kingdom. This is similar to how we take the Fall of the Western Roman Empire as when Romulus Augustulus was deposed. Both were dynamic processes, so a fairly arbitrary line in the sand, but after Samaria was conquered, it never recovered.

Manasseh is listed as a loyal vassal of Esarhaddon on Assyrian tablets. Likely the Assyrians restored him as a client king - either under Esarhaddon or under the previous king, Sennacherib, either through force or internal struggles of pro-Assyrian factions in Judah.
 
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Thanks ... I will read all Bible passages that are referenced. vinsight4u ... I didn't read clearly your remarks about Jeremiah 46, but I do see the comment now. Thanks also for the comments linking past and future - Jeremiah and Revelations. I agree, the events that are prophesied are not over ... the hand of God is still in motion. That is also very clear in the chapters in Isaiah, especially 63-65.

I am reading both Isaiah and Jeremiah in detail. I want to make sure that I notice - if they are talking about events in the N. Kingdom, or in Judah. It seems that they should talk about both. And indeed, from the helpful comments, they apparently did that.

Also Cassia - thanks for the very helpful comments about the size of the armies. Yes, it certainly appears that the size of the group of warriors swelled enormously ... from fighters who had fled the N. Kingdom.

I still don't see a clear answer - about the fate of the tribes from N. Israel after it was devastated by Assyria. Did they disappear forever?
We don't know what happened to the Northern Tribes. Significant parts of them obviously fled south, becoming absorbed in Judah.
Other portions dissipated in exile where the Assyrians had planted them, or possibly made up a proportion of returnees under Esra or the diaspora population in Upper Mesopotamia.
Some stayed behind. The Samaritans for instance, claim descent from Ephraim, amd have been living in Palestine since time immemorial.
 
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gideon123

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Once again, thanks for all of the replies.

It appears that the Assyrians used a deliberate strategy to destroy and disperse the population of Northern Israel. It appears to have been largely successful. This was a huge loss for the culture of Israel in antiquity ... and an enormous setback for the "people of God". The message is profound, and it is just as relevant today ... as it was back then.

I encourage everyone to debate these topics with goodwill. I'm sure it is not easy to resolve all of the historical details. For me - it is very helpful to know that there are Assyrian tablets that confirm these events. I do appreciate the educated responses on this topic.
 
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