KINGDOM
OF
ISRAEL / SAMARIA
928
- 723 BC :
Around
1035 BC the comparatively weak Israelites reputedly founded a small
kingdom of Israel. The process seems to have been due - at least
in part - to attacks by Ammon. The Israelites realised the only
effective response was to unite the Israelite tribes. Once it had
been regained from the Philistines, another major threat, the capital
became the small walled city of Jerusalem. The kingdom held a largely
united front until civil war divided it in two (according to the
Old Testament).
The
capital of the rebellious north was initially Sechem (Sichem - usually
associated with the archaeological site of Tell Balata in the West
Bank). By the time of the third king, Baasha, the capital was now
at Tirza (Tirzah - now Tell el-Far'ah (North)), which the Israelites
had conquered around the 1160s BC, during the settlement period.
From about 875 BC the capital was at Samaria thanks to Omri, and
this is sometimes used to name the kingdom as a whole. The city
of Bashan formed part of its northern territory at first, as did
Moab and Ammon to the east, but Israel's break-up allowed its enemy
Damas to greatly increase its own power. The situation was not helped
by Samaria and Judah continuing their civil war, on and off, under
successive rulers.
To
help break the northern population's ties with Jerusalem still further,
Samaria's first king, Jeroboam I, created two sanctuaries, at Bethel
in the south (very close to the border with Judah), and Dan in the
north, both important cultic centres. He introduced forms of worship
which could easily be accepted by the people but which were also
easily attacked by Judah as being idolatrous. However, it was in
Judah, or by Judeans, that much of the Old Testament was written,
so Samaria was often painted in unflattering tones.
Additionally,
even the Old Testament is unable to completely hide the fact that
polytheism seemed to be prevalent throughout Canaan, even Hebrew
Canaan. The early god El, who unmasked himself to Abraham as Yahweh,
may have had a consort called Asherah, and a court of lesser gods
in the typical format of Canaanite societies. Perhaps Jeroboam was
simply being more true to the origins of his people while the Babylonian
period Judeans who wrote down the books that make up the Old Testament
had a completely different viewpoint.
All
dating here is arguable to an extent. Various scholars have proposed
their own dating which can result in variances of four or five years
up or down from the dates that are shown here. The kingship was
somewhat unstable in that it was often seized by usurpers and the
previous ruling family would be murdered in its entirety. Ishida
(see references) suggests that this was due to internal fueding
within the kingdom, with tribe pitted against tribe for superiority.
(Information
by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Wayne McCleese,
from the BBC documentary series, Bible's Buried Secrets, first broadcast
22 March 2011, from Unger's Bible Dictionary, Merrill F Unger (1957),
from Easton's Bible Dictionary, Matthew George Easton (1897), from
The Changes of Dynasties in the Northern Kingdom, Tomoo Ishida (Walter
de Gruyter Gmbh, 1977), and from External Links: Israel and the
Aramaeans (Quartz Hill School of Theology), and Jewish Encyclopaedia,
and Bible Hub: Menahem.)
928 - 907 BC :
Jeroboam I : Son
of Nebat. Former Ephramite chief of Solomon's labour gangs.
928 - 925 BC :
The break-up of Israel has allowed Damas to rapidly grow in power
and at times even threaten the existence of its southern neighbour.
It is frequently called upon by Judah to help against Samaria and
probably gains some of the latter's northern towns during this period.
Also not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament, Wayne McCleese
believes that a treaty exists between Tab-Rimmon of Damas and the
kingdom of Judah (based on 1 Kings 15:19).
![Samaria excavations](Israel_Samaria01_full.jpg)
This
general view of the 1933 excavations of the city of Samaria shows
them while looking towards the north
c.925 BC :
Egyptian Pharaoh Sheshonk mounts a full-scale invasion of the kingdom,
mainly ignoring Judah to the south. Many treasures are captured
but the Ark of the Covenant, contrary to some opinion, is not taken
to Egypt.
Some
modern scholars outside the orthodox Egyptologists and Biblical
scholars prefer the idea that the Shishak who attacks Israel is
probably not Sheshonk but Ramses II of Nineteenth Dynasty Egypt
instead, placing the event a clear two centuries before the generally
accepted date of Israel's foundation as a kingdom and even further
before the building of the First Temple into which the Ark is placed.
906
- 905 BC :
Nadab : Son.
Killed by Philistines (or by Baasha).
905 BC :
Nadab's reign is brief. He leads the siege of a Philistine town
by the name of Gibbethon when he is killed. The Old Testament's
first book of Kings states that this is by one of his own captains
- one Baasha - rather than by a Philistine. Baasha goes on to wipe
out the remainder of the royal family, thereby extinguishing the
House of Jereboam.
Baasha
: Former
army captain. Usurper?
905 - 883 BC :
While attacking Asa of Judah, Samaria certainly does now lose some
of its northern towns to Damas, although this event goes unrecorded
by the Old Testament. Samaria's king probably has to make important
concessions to the Damascene king, Ben-Hadad. Control over Ammon
is also lost around 880 BC.
883
- 881 BC :
Elah : Son.
Murdered by the captain of chariots.
881 BC :
Zimri : Usurper.
Ruled for seven days. Suicide.
881 - 870 BC :
Omri : Army
commander. Oppressor of the Moabites.
c.880 - 848 BC :
Moab is oppressed by Omri and his son, Ahab. These two Israelite
kings head a new dynasty in Samaria, and this is the first direct
mention of Israelite rulers outside of the Old Testament. Omri also
establishes closer ties with the Phoenicians at Tyre in an attempt
to draw away some of Damas' wealth and prosperity. The Assyrians
make themselves known, referring to Samaria as Bit-Humri ('House
of Omri'), and his successors as Mar-Humri ('Son of Omri'). Omri's
footprint in history makes him far more credible as a powerful early
Israelite than his predecessor, Kind David, but he is barely mentioned
by the Old Testament, which is written down by people from Judah.
![Plains of Moab](Jordan_PlainsofMoab01_full.jpg)
The
Plains of Moab lay on the eastern side of the River Jordan, opposite
Jericho, and it was here that the Israelites mourned the death of
Moses for one month prior to entering the 'Promised Land' (presumably
the Moabites lacked the resources to hurry them along)
870 - 848 BC :
Ahab : Son.
m Jezebal, dau of king of Tyre. Killed by Damas.
860s? BC :
Asa of Judah and Ba'asa (Baasha), ruler of Ammon, maintain a near-lifelong
feud. When Ba'asa pushes Samaria's frontier to within five miles
of Jerusalem, Asa, just like his father before him when under pressure,
calls on Damas for help. In this case it is Ben-Hadad who responds
to Asa's offer of payment if Damas will break its treaty with Ammon.
855
- 854 BC :
Ahab further strengthens Samaria's position by concluding a treaty
with Tyre which is cemented by marriage. To that he adds a protective
alliance with Judah, sealed with the marriage of his daughter, Athalia,
to Jehoram, the crown prince of Judah.
In
855 BC, the long-awaited attack by Damas arrives. After burning
Hazor, King Ben-Hadad and thirty-two vassal kings suddenly appear
before the gates of Samaria, but they are strategically defeated
twice in two years (although this attack may be a misattribution
by later editors of the Old Testament and may instead refer to the
throwing off of Damascene domination by Jehoash in the early eighth
century BC).
853
BC :
Ahab
is a member of an alliance of states which also includes Ammon,
Arvad, Byblos, Damas, Edom, Egypt, Hamath, and Kedar (seemingly
despite the recent conflict between Damas and Samaria). Together
they fight Shalmaneser III of Assyria at the Battle of Qarqar which
consists of the largest known number of combatants in a single battle
to date, and is the first historical mention of the Arabs from the
southern deserts. Despite claims to the contrary, the Assyrians
are defeated, since they do not press on to their nearest target,
Hamath, and do not resume their attacks on Hamath and Damas for
about six years.
![Map of Canaan and Syria c.850 BC](Map850BC_full.jpg)
When
the Neo-Assyrian empire threatened the various city states of southern
Syria and Canaan around 853 BC, they united to protect their joint
territory - successfully it seems, at least for a time
850 - 848 BC :
The alliance of states of 853 BC breaks up when Ahab, assisted by
Jehoshaphat of Judah, wages war against Damas at Ramoth Gilead,
where Ahab meets his death in 848 BC. Damas subsequently removes
Bashan from Samarian control. Ahab's third successor (in 842 BC)
is Jehu. Almost immediately after his accession, Hazael usurps the
throne of Aram Damascus, murdering the incumbent king in the process.
848
- 847 BC :
Ahaziah : Son.
Weak and sickly. Moab rebels during his reign.
847 - 842 BC :
Joram / Jehoram : Son
of Ahab. Killed by Jehu.
c.847 BC :
Joram, together with Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the king (or governor)
of Edom, form a coalition which attempts to retake Moab by force
but, despite some initial gains, the attempt is unsuccessful. Despite
Old Testament claims to the contrary, Moab even invades and defeats
Samaria.
842
BC :
Ahaziah of Judah and Joram of Samaria engage Hazael of Damas in
battle at Ramoth-Gilead (seemingly a common location for battles
in this period). Joram is wounded and retreats to Jezreel where
Ahaziah rejoins him. Both are killed there by Jehu, who then seizes
the throne of Samaria.
842
- 814 BC :
Jehu : Army
commander. Usurper?
c.840 BC :
Jehu puts an end to the house of Omri by massacring the entire royal
family and seizing the throne. The only known survivor is Omri's
daughter, Athaliah, who is queen in Judah. Soon after his reign
begins, and despite Old Testament claims to the contrary, Moab defeats
Samaria and Damas takes all the Hebrew possessions east of the Jordan,
ravaging Judah, and rendering Samaria impotent. Later in his reign,
Jehu is also represented on the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
as submitting to Assyria, the only representation of an Israelite
ruler in existence today.
814
- 800 BC :
Jehoahaz : Son.
Remained cowed by Damas.
800 - 784 BC :
Jehoash / Joash : Son.
c.796 BC :
Ben-Hadad III of Damas is not the man his father had been. Initially
he occupies the greater part of Samaria but introduces repressive
controls which are so strongly resented that the Samarians even
welcome the return of the Assyrians.
![Damascus wall](Arabic_Damascus02_full.jpg)
This
colour photochrome print shows a wall in Damascus' defences which
is rumoured to be the one over which St Paul escaped in the first
century AD
Return
they do around this time, attacking Damas and forcing tribute from
it. This attack is almost certainly led by Shamshi-ilu from his
western base at Kar-Shulmanu-Ashared. He is perhaps the most powerful
man of his time, one of a small group of almost equally powerful
magnates - princes who govern Assyria under the sovereignty of Adad-Nirari
and his three immediate successors.
Gradually losing his father's empire, Ben-Hadad also leads a coalition
of states against Zakir of Hamath, and Luash to the north of Damas,
but is defeated by the latter. Samaria under Jehoash is even able
to recover to the extent that it is able to throw off his domination,
and later makes Damas a vassal state.
784 - 748 BC :
Jeroboam II : Son.
748 BC :
Zachariah / Zechariah : Son.
Ruled for 6 months. Murdered.
748 BC :
Shallum : Army
captain. Usurper. Ruled for 1 month. Killed.
748 - 738 BC :
Menachem / Menahem : Son
of Gadi. Army captain. Usurper.
748 BC :
Wayne McCleese has pointed out that the name Menahem is missing
(defaced) from the Assyrian inscription that describes Tiglath-Pileser
III overwhelming him 'like in a snowstorm'. McCleese assumes that
the name has therefore been assumed, although from where is unclear.
The name means 'one who comforts' - ironic for a king who is claimed
as being a tyrannical and cruel idolater. His name may, however,
exist on more recently-discovered Assyrian tablets, as well as being
recorded in the Old Testament's 2 Kings.
738
BC :
The Assyrians are now extremely active in the Levant. The city of
Byblos pays tribute in this year, and the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser
III, campaigns in Sam'al against a rebellion there. Both Samaria
and Damas become vassals following an invasion of their lands. However,
the kings of the two cities are allowed to continue to rule.
738
- 733 BC :
Pekahiah : Son.
Murdered.
733 - 732 BC :
Pekah : Son
of Remaliah. Army officer. Usurper. Murdered.
734 - 733 BC :
Pekah and Rezon II of Damas form an anti-Assyrian coalition. They
try to force Ahaz of Judah to join them but are stopped when Tiglath-Pileser
III marches an army into Syria and the Levant (partially thanks
to payments of silver and gold by Ahaz). Over the next two years
he re-conquers all the rebellious states, and takes Damas. Judah
is reduced to vassal status in 733 BC. Just a year later Pekah is
assassinated by Hoshea who then takes over the kingship.
![Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria](Assyria_TiglathPileserIII_01_full.jpg)
Tiglath-Pileser
III dominated the Levantine city states during the later years of
the eighth century BC, terminating the kingdom of Samaria and, shown
here, with his foot on the shoulder of Hanunu of the Philistine
city of Gaza, a gesture of dominance in the face of Hanunu's crouched
submission
732 - 723 BC :
Hoshea : Ostensibly
pro-Assyrian to assuage Tiglath-Pileser III.
722 - 721 BC :
After Hoshea stops paying tribute, Samaria is invaded and eventually
falls to Assyria. The ten (of twelve) Hebrew tribes in Israel are
relocated by the Assyrians (27,290 inhabitants in all). A proportion
of them are resettled in Media in the Zagros Mountains, forced to
walk all the way. It is often assumed that the rest may be massacred
by the Assyrians, although it now seems more likely that they are
eventually absorbed into general Assyrian society.
In
their place, the residents of the rebellious city of Hamath are
shipped in, and it is these people who form the core of the later
Samaritans (whose name may be due to their relationship with the
lands of Samaria - although this is a contested claim). The former
kingdom is divided into provinces: Megiddo (north-west), Samaria
(west of the River Jordan), and Gilead (east of the River Jordan).
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/
KingListsMiddEast/CanaanIsraelites
Samaria.htm