Assyrians

Assyria's Conquest of Israel

Centered on the Tigris River in what is now northern Iraq, Assyria built the ancient Near East's most feared military machine, known for brutal tactics and mass deportations designed to permanently break conquered peoples' national identity. Assyria conquered and deported the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC after a prolonged siege of Samaria, resettling the region with foreign peoples (2 Kings 17:5-6, 24) — the event behind the origin of the Samaritans and the effective end of Israel's ten northern tribes as a distinct nation. Assyria also invaded Judah under Sennacherib and besieged Jerusalem itself, only to have the siege broken when, Scripture records, 'the angel of the LORD went out, and struck one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians' overnight (2 Kings 19:35).

Assyria in Jonah

The book of Jonah centers entirely on Assyria's capital, Nineveh — the prophet Jonah, sent to warn the city of coming judgment, initially flees in the opposite direction rather than see this hated enemy nation spared (Jonah 1:1-3), but when Nineveh does repent at his eventual preaching, God relents from the destruction he had threatened (Jonah 3:5-10), leaving Jonah bitterly displeased at God's mercy toward Israel's enemies rather than pleased at the outcome (Jonah 4:1-11) — a pointed Old Testament reminder that God's compassion was never meant to be reserved for Israel alone.

Scripture references

• 2 Kings 17:5-6 — Assyria conquers and deports the northern kingdom of Israel
• 2 Kings 19:35 — The angel of the LORD destroys Sennacherib's besieging army
• Jonah 3:5-10 — Nineveh repents; God relents from judgment

Further reading

• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Assyria