ISRAeLITe eMBASSIeS To ASSyRIA 195 11,5; 11,11-12; 12,2; 14,3-4), and the phrase melek yāreb (from ßarru rabbu, at 5,13) is only one of several borrowings from Assyrian impe- rial terminology in Hosea 69. While both Isaiah and Hosea respond to the experience and claims of Assyria, the view of Assyria in Hosea dif- fers from that in Isaiah 1–39. Hosea’s references to Assyria focus on Israel’s pleas for assistance from Assyria in 5,13, on emissaries to Assyria in 8,9, and on vassal tribute to Assyria in 10,6. All of these references highlight the centrality of the ambassadors and embassies from Israel in Hosea’s view of Assyria. In 7,11 and 12,2, he highlights the futility of the search for a political patron, as Israel alternately and servilely courts egypt and Assyria. Hosea seems to view Assyria primarily through the prism of Israel’s search for such a patron, as expressed by its embassies. This view seems to have developed out of the long-lasting Israelite relationship with Assyria. In contrast, the shock of the encounter with Assyrian power stands behind many of Isaiah’s prophecies (including 5,26-29; 10,5-22; 10,28 – 12,6; 36–37). This shock is nowhere expressed in Hosea, de- spite his many mentions of Assyria. This difference seems to reflect the different experiences of Israel and Judah in encountering Assyria. Due to frequent diplomatic contact with Assyria from Ahab’s time on, Israel was familiar with the political vicissitudes of Assyria’s waxing power and periods of “consolidation” (when growth was not evident to the outsider). It therefore saw the rise of Assyria in Tiglath-Pileser’s time as a challenge to be overcome through intensive diplomatic activity, expressed either in submission to Assyria or participation in an anti-Assyrian alliance. Judah, however, was relatively far more isolated from contact with Assyria prior to the time of Tiglath-Pileser III, and was therefore awed and shocked by the encounter with Assyrian power in his time. With no prior context of encounters with Assyria, Judah could not adequately appreciate the historical pattern of increases and decreases in Assyrian power, a pattern which, as it happens, recurred in the period following Tiglath-Pileser III (for ex- ample, the lessening of Assyrian power between his death and the campaign of Sargon II in 720). This shock is expressed in the Isaiah passages noted above which seem to acknowledge Assyrian invinci- bility. Furthermore, Isaiah deals theologically with the challenge that 69 See further in Shalom M. PAUL, “~yrf $lm afm Hosea 8:8-10 and Ancient near eastern Royal epithets”, Studies in Bible (ed. S. JAPHeT) (Scripta Hieroso- lymitana 31; Jerusalem 1986) 199.