Peter Dubovský, «Tiglath-pileser III’s Campaigns in 734-732 B.C.: Historical Background of Isa 7; 2 Kgs 15–16 and 2 Chr 27–28», Vol. 87 (2006) 153-170
The aim of this article is to investigate Tiglath-pileser III’s campaigns against the
Levant in 734-732 B.C. The campaigns can be divided into three phases. In the
first phase, the Assyrians conquered Tyre and the coast. In the second phase, they
defeated Syrian troops in battle, conquered Transjordan and made a surprise
attack on the Arabian tribes. In the last phase, they conquered Damascus, Galilee
and Gezer. In the second part of this article, the author investigates the logistics
of these campaigns and at the end the author evaluated the consequences of the
Assyrian invasion in terms of human and material losses and the administrative
reorganization of the region.
Tiglath-pileser III’s Campaigns in 734-732 B.C. 165
Another large deportation affected Arabian queen Samsi: 1,000
people, most likely her warriors, were deported (Summ. 4:20’). The
last set of deportees came from Gaza. The royal family was deported
to Assyria after Hanunu, the king of Gaza, fled to Egypt (Summ.
8:15’). Thus, the annals and summary inscriptions mentioned that the
larger groups of deportees were taken mainly from Aram, Israel and
from among Samsi’s people. The recorded numbers of deportees is
16,620.
b) Material losses
In tributes and gifts Tiglath-pileser III received at least 80 talents
of gold and 2,800 talents of silver (see Table 1.). Besides this, he seized
the property of kings Hiram, Hanunu and queen Samsi and the
property of at least 14,320 people.
Tiglath-pileser III’s army had also devastating impact on the
region. According to the biblical sources the Assyrian army captured
these cities: Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor (2
Kgs 15,29) (37). According to Assyrian sources the Assyrians captured
14 major cities whose names appear in the inscriptions or on the reliefs
from Nimrud and 621 smaller cities. This resulted in the destruction of
16 Aramean districts and 16 Israelite districts.
The destructive impact of the Neo-Assyrian invasion is docu-
mented by archaeological surveys and excavations. Z. Gal surveyed
Galilee and showed that the region was destroyed in the late 8th century
B.C. and most of the cities were never rebuilt. A similar picture
emerges from the several excavations conducted in Golan, Gilead, and
Galilee (38). Several cities such as Dan, Hazor, Chinnereth, Betsaida,
Tel Hadar, ‘En gev, Beth-Shean, Kedesh, Megiddo, Jokneam, Qiri,
Acco, Keisam, Shiqnona, and Dor were destroyed in the 8th century
B.C. Some of them were left abandoned for many years (39).
c) Administrative reorganization
Aram lost its independence and was annexed to Assyria. At the
head of this new Assyrian province was appointed an Assyrian eunuch
(37) COGAN, II Kings, 174.
(38) Z. GAL, Lower Galilee During the Iron Age (Winona Lake, IN 1992).
(39) E. STERN – A. MAZAR, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible. The
Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian Periods, 732-332 BCE (Anchor Bible
Reference Library; New York 2001) 7.
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