went forth," which would scarcely seem historically quite accurate.

** In 2 Kings 18:9-12 the Assyrian conquest of Samaria and the deportation of Israel are again

related - either because in chap. 17 they were related out of their chronological order, or else

because they followed immediately on the Philistine expedition, recorded in 2 Kings 18:8.

In truth, the relations between Hezekiah and the mighty world -empire of Assyria furnish the

explanation of all the outward events of his reign. Of the first of these, the victory over the

Philistines "unto Gaza," and the complete subjugation of their country, "from the tower of the

watchmen to the fenced city" (2 Kings 18:8), it is impossible to fix the date. To judge from its

position in the text, it seems to have taken place during the reig n of Shalmaneser, before the

accession of Sargon, by whom Samaria was taken. The apparent ill-success of Shalmaneser before

Tyre may have rendered possible and encouraged such an undertaking on the part of Hezekiah. In

any case, we have to bear in mind that Philistia, so important to Assyria as being the road to and

from Egypt, always formed an objective point in the western expeditions of the "great kings," and

that its cities seem to have been divided, some being disposed to make cause against Assyria,

while others - notably Ashdod and Gaza, - together with Moab, Ammon, and Edom, were on the

side of the eastern empire.*

* Possibly the Assyrian proclivities of the southern Philistine cities may be explained by their

proximity to Egypt, and their fear of absorption in that empire.

Thus the period of Shalmaneser's weakness was being utilized by Hezekiah, not only for his

religious reformation, but for securing his flank in any future contest with Assyria, as well as for

works of internal defense, to which reference will be made in the sequel.

The aspect of matters changed with the accession of Sargon. That monarch did not indeed feel

himself strong enough immediately, after the taking of Samaria, to advance south against Egypt.

Besides troubles nearer home, especially the subdual of Merodach Baladan, engaged his attention.

But in the second year after his accession we find him engaged in a western expedition. In this

campaign the rebellion of Hamath was crushed, and the great battle of Karkar won. But what most

concerns our history is the expedition of Sargon against the hostile league formed by Seve of

Egypt and Hanno, king of Gaza - as we conjecture a dependent of Hezekiah, who sympathized

with, though he does not seem actually to have taken part in the anti-Assyrian combination.

Sargon was completely successful. In the battle of Raphia the allies were defeated; Seve fled, and

was allowed to make his peace by paying tribute, while Hanno was taken prisoner. On this

occasion Hezekiah appears to have been called to account, and to have been obliged to make

submission. An Assyrian inscription speaks of Sargon as "the subduer of Judah," though without

any added mention of battle or triumph. From its date we conclude that it refers to something that

had taken pla ce during the expedition of Sargon against Seve and Hanno.*

* To complete this history we may mention that, in the eleventh year of his reign, Sargon

undertook another expedition to quell the rebellion of Ashdod, which had been instigated by

Egypt, or ra ther Ethiopia. Sargon was again victorious. Ashdod was taken; the Egyptian army did

not venture to make its appearance, and its king surrendered to Sargon the leader of the Ashdod

rebellion, who had fled to him. It is to these events that the prophecy in Isaiah 20 refers, where

mark especially verse 5. "The Tartan" was the official designation of the Assyrian commander-in-

chief. On this occasion Judah does not seem to have been touched.

Sargon reigned altogether seventeen years.* In the defective condition of the inscriptions, it is

impossible to know for certain whether or not he was killed by an assassin. He was succeeded by

his son Sennacherib, who, after a reign of twenty-four years, perished at the hands of his own sons

(2 Kings 19:37).**