- 86-
The king of Israel had good reason for looking hopefully to an alliance with this
monarch. He was the first Pharaoh of the twenty-fifth Ethiopian dynasty. Under him
Egypt, which before had been pressed in the north by the Assyrians and in the south by
the Ethiopians, and suffered from internal dissensions, became strong, peaceful, and
independent. This is not the place for details of a reign which was not only signally
beneficial to his country, but elevated in character. Seve was too wise a monarch to be
persuaded by the ambassadors, or seduced by the "presents" which Hoshea sent, into an
active alliance with Israel against Assyria.* The attempted "conspiracy"** became
known to Shalmaneser. He turned against Hoshea, who in the meantime had ceased to
pay his tribute, seized and cast him into prison (2 Kings 17:4).
- Unfortunately for Egypt, it did, at a later period, enter into an alliance against Assyria.
The defeat and humiliation of Egypt are referred to in Isaiah 20:1. Probably the prophecy
in Isaiah 19 refers to the same subject. For the history of the Assyrian victories see
Schrader (u.s., pp. 392), who also gives (pp. 402-405) an abstract of the events of 15 out
of the I7 years of the reign of Sargon. We only add, that on the Assyrian monument Seve
is designated as "Sultan," or prince, not as "Pharaoh," king of Egypt (Schrader u.s.; p.
270).
** Some critics, however, propose to read for (...), "conspiracy," (...) , "falsehood."
The further progress of this war is only briefly summarized in the Biblical record (2
Kings 17:5, 6), which is chiefly concerned with the issue of the struggle, and its spiritual
import and lessons. It only relates that the siege of Samaria lasted three years; that at the
end of them - that is, in the ninth (or last) year of Hoshea - the city was taken; and, lastly,
that "Israel" was "carried away" to certain places which are mentioned. Happily, the
Assyrian inscriptions enable us to fill up this bare outline. From them we learn that after
the siege of Samaria had continued about two years, Shalmaneser was succeeded by
Sargon, who took the city (after a siege of altogether three years) in the first year of his
reign - that is, in the year 722 B.C.*
- Alike Biblical and Assyrian chronology lead up to the year 722 or 72I B.C. as that of
the taking of Samaria.
Strictly speaking, the sacred text does not expressly attribute the capture of Samaria to
Shalmaneser himself (comp. 2 Kings 17:6; 18:10, 11),* although Sargon is not
mentioned.
- It must, however, be admitted that the argument for the reading (...) "and he took it," (2
Kings 18:10) for (...) "they took it," has great weight.
(^)