154 Peter Dubovsk´ y biblical and Akkadian. The first group of biblical documents presents the impact of Tiglath-pileser III’s campaigns upon the northern kingdom (2 Kgs 15,29-31). The second group of biblical texts repre- sents the southern — Judahite — point of view (2 Kgs 15,32–16,20; Isa 7,1-25; 2 Chr 27,1–28,27). The Assyrian point of view has been preserved in three annals (Ann 18, 23, 24), three summary inscriptions (Summ. 4, 9, 13), in Eponym Canon Cb (2), and several letters (ND 2064, 2417, 2430, 2686, 2715, 2716, 2766, 2767)(3). Besides written documents, reliefs from Nimrud depicting some scenes from this campaign as well as archaeological data from Israel are further witnesses to Tiglath-pileser III’s activity in the Levant. In 738 B.C. Tiglath-pileser III finished his campaign which aimed at subjugating northern Syria and Phoenicia. Then, between 738 B.C. and 734 B.C. he concentrated his attention on Media and Urartu. In 734 B.C. Tiglath-pileser III resumed his activity in the West. His military activity in the Levant lasted three seasons, because in 731 B.C. Tiglath- pileser III already fought against the rebels in the East. Thus, the time- span between the first and the second series of the campaigns against the Levant, i.e. the period when Tiglath-pileser III was busy in Urartu and Media (738-734 B.C.), turned out to be a period which gave the Levantine states a chance to aspire to independence (4). The Levant in the second half of the eighth century B.C. went through a series of changes reflected in the shifting of allegiance. Palestine and Syria were not an exception. When Israel allied with Aram, the previous partners Judah-Israel became enemies. The alliance between Aram and Israel has often been called the Syro- Ephraimite league. The result of this shift of allegiance was that Judah lost some territories and was even invaded by Aram, Israel, Edom and Philistia (2 Kgs 15-16, 2 Chr 28; Isa 7). In scholarly literature several theories about the nature and the goals of the Syro-Ephraimite league and their invasion of Judah have been advanced. B. Oded, whose opinion has been followed by most modern scholars, convincingly (2) A.R. MILLARD, The Eponyms of the Assyrian Empire 910-612 BC (Helsinki 1994) 44-45. (3) H.W.F. SAGGS, The Nimrud Letters, 1952 (CTN 5; London 2001) 150-166. (4) According to N. Na’aman the preparation for the rebellion started in 736 B.C.; see N. NA’AMAN, “Forced Participation in Alliances in the Course of the Assyrian Campaigns to the West”, Ah, Assyria... Studies in Assyrian History and Ancient near Eastern Historiography Presented to Hayim Tadmor (ed. I. EPHAL) (Scripta Hierosolymitana 33; Jerusalem 1991) 80-98.