During this time, Judah at least had a few bright periods, but Israel was threatened by conflict with the Syrians or Aramaeans, Egyptians, and Assyrians. Isaiah warned Ahas (AY-hass), the king of Israel, not to make an alliance with Assyria against the Aramaeans, but he did. Tiglath-Pileser III, the Assyrian king, drove out the Aramaeans, but in return for the favor he grabbed large portions of the Israelites' territory.
Finally, in 721 b. c., Tiglath-Pileser's successor, Sargon II, completed the conquest of Israel. As was the Assyrians' policy, he deported large numbers of the Israelites to another part of his empire. Most likely these people became assimilated into the Assyrian Empire; however, “The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel” became a legend. In later centuries, people would claim that they had ended up in Africa or even America.
Judah managed to hang on for another century and a half, led by kings such as Hezekiah (hez-uh-KIE-uh; r. 715-687 B. C.), a righteous leader according to the Bible. But after his time, the kingdom came under the influence of Assyria. King Josiah (joe-SIE-uh; r. 640-609 b. c.) worked against the Assyrians' influence in the government and religion of Israel, but he died in an unsuccessful attempt to stop an Egyptian invasion of Mesopotamia.
By the time of Josiah's death in 609 b. c., Assyria had fallen to Babylonia, and Judah fell under Babylonian influence. Babylonia and Egypt now went to war, and Judah took Egypt's side—which turned out to be a mistake. In 587 b. c., Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia conquered Judah and carried many of its people into captivity in Babylon.
World History
