Assyrian downfall through Isaiah’s eyes (2 Kings 15–23) 3 The Neo-Assyrian expansion towards the west started one century earlier than the Bible claims. The first real encounter between Assyria and Israel, not mentioned in the Bible, took place during the reign of Shalmaneser III (ARAB I.610-611). The Israelite troops led by Achab took part in the battle of Qarqar (853 B.C.). Then we learn from the Assyrian sources that Achab’s successor Jehu paid tribute to Shalmaneser III in 841 B.C. (ARAB I.672). The campaigns of Adad- nirari III’s reign are not mentioned in the Bible at all (ARAB I.739- 740) (3). The second major encounter with the Assyrians described in 2 Kgs 15,19-21 as the campaign of Pul can be identified with Phase I of Tiglath-pileser III’s campaigns against Syria (743-738 B.C.). This series of campaigns resulted in establishing Neo-Assyrian provinces in northern Syria. The rest of the local kings recognized Assyrian sovereignty by paying tribute, Israel included (ARAB I.769-771) (4). A later encounter with the Assyrians described in 2 Kgs 15,29 and 16,7-10 corresponds to three campaigns of Tiglath-pileser III conducted against the Levant in 734-732 B.C. These campaigns resulted in turning Damascus into a new Assyrian province and in the confirmation of the pro-Assyrian king Hoshea on the throne in Samaria. Judah by paying tribute managed to maintain a certain level of independence (ARAB I.776-779, 815-819) (5). The biblical description of the end of the Northern kingdom most likely telescopes two Assyrian campaigns into one narrative. According to the Assyrian sources the first campaign was led by Shalmaneser V (Babylonian Chronicle I i:28) and the second was led by Sargon II (ARAB II.4-5, 17, 55, 80, 92, 99, 133-135). These campaigns marked the end of the Israelite kingdom and Samaria became the capital of a new Assyrian province, S˝mer^na. Judah once again managed to mantain its independence (6). A further campaign led (3) R.E. TAPPY, The Archaeology of Israelite Samaria (HSS 50; Atlanta, GA. 1992) II, 506-611. (4) I. EPHAL, “The Assyrian Domination of Palestine”, WHJP (1979) 276-289; H. TADMOR, The Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III, King of Assyria. Critical Edition, with Introduction, Translations and Commentary (Jerusalem 1994) 276. (5) P. DUBOVSK´ , “Tiglath-Pileser III’s Campaigns in 734-732 B.C.: Y Historical Background of Isa 7, 2 Kgs 15-16 and 2 Chr 27-28”, Bib 87 (2006) 153- 170. (6) B. BECKING, The Fall of Samaria. An Historical and Archaeological Summary (Leiden 1992) 47-60.