Ancient Assyria

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI THE SARGONIDS Sargon II., B.C. 722-705.--Sargon II., or as he is called in his own inscriptions, " Sargon the later," came to the throne of Assyria in Tebet, B.c. 722. Like Shalmaneser he was not of royal descent. At any rate he does not name his ancestors, and he may have owed his power to the army. The situation called for a statesman and a warrior. In Palestine and Syria rebellion was in full swing, though the siege of Samaria was being carried on with vigour. Whether he himself brought it to an end or had to leave its completion to the generals on the spot, his annals place its close at the very beginning of the reign. He carried off 27,290 men and settled his captives in the district of Gozan, Halah, and in the Median hill country; while he filled Samaria and Galilee with colonists from Kutha and other recently conquered lands. Israel became an Assyrian province with a merely titular king and an Assyrian Resident. It was not so crushed as to be unable to take part two years later in the rising of Ilu-bi'di of WAR WITH MERODACH-BALADAN 113 Hamath, but after that it appears simply as a subject province. Babylonia was Sargon's first care. MerodachBaladan II. was in full possession of the throne in B.o. 721. To be legitimate ruler of Babylon Sargon was bound to take the land of Bel on the 1st of Nisan B.C. 721. Merodach-Baladan was supported by Elam, whose king advanced upon the Assyrian border and occupied Dur-ilu on the lower Tigris. Sargon, whose army was still engaged in Palestine, rapidly pushed down the east bank of the Tigris with what troops he could collect. The battle was indecisive, except that the Elamites retreated and Sargon was able to punish the Aramaeans who had sided with Merodach-Baladan, but the latter was acknowledged king...