The Assyrian War
Prelude to war
In the sixth year of his reign, Hezekiah witnessed the Fall of Samaria.[1][8] At some point in the next eight years, Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria, determined to end the annual tribute that Tiglath-Pileser III had imposed upon Ahaz in return for fighting a campaign that Tiglath-Pileser had his own reasons to fight anyway.[24][3] James Ussher[1] states that Shalmaneser V, the conqueror of the Northern Kingdom, died in 717 BC, four years after his successful conquest. Secular scholars, however, insist that between Shalmaneser and Sennacherib, another king ruled, named Sargon II, and he had completed the conquest of Samaria. However, Mackey[25] presents an excellent analysis providing independent support of Ussher's claim[1] that Sargon was the same man as Sennacherib, the immediate successor to Shalmaneser. Mackey's basis is the appearance of identical sequences of six different wars in both men's inscriptions. Although Mackey still assumes that Shalmaneser died before completing the capture of Samaria, Mackey's most important and relevant contribution in this context is showing that Sargon and Sennacherib are one and the same man.
Prelude to war
In the sixth year of his reign, Hezekiah witnessed the Fall of Samaria.[1][8] At some point in the next eight years, Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria, determined to end the annual tribute that Tiglath-Pileser III had imposed upon Ahaz in return for fighting a campaign that Tiglath-Pileser had his own reasons to fight anyway.[24][3] James Ussher[1] states that Shalmaneser V, the conqueror of the Northern Kingdom, died in 717 BC, four years after his successful conquest. Secular scholars, however, insist that between Shalmaneser and Sennacherib, another king ruled, named Sargon II, and he had completed the conquest of Samaria. However, Mackey[25] presents an excellent analysis providing independent support of Ussher's claim[1] that Sargon was the same man as Sennacherib, the immediate successor to Shalmaneser. Mackey's basis is the appearance of identical sequences of six different wars in both men's inscriptions. Although Mackey still assumes that Shalmaneser died before completing the capture of Samaria, Mackey's most important and relevant contribution in this context is showing that Sargon and Sennacherib are one and the same man.
