Sargon in Assyrian Documentation

Austen H. Layard discovered Assyrian records documenting the reign of Sargon II in the mid-19th century. These include the Annals, which were carved in relief and hung on the walls of his palace at Dur Sharrukin (Khorsabad), as well as another recension engraved on a prism, fragments of which were found at Calah. Additionally, “display inscriptions which are summaries of his deeds” have also been found, as well as other briefer inscriptions (Rainey, The Sacred Bridge, 234).

Sargon’s annals indicate that some Assyrian provinces and vassal kingdoms in the west (in Syria-Palestine) exploited the unrest following Shalmaneser V’s untimely death. Thus in 720 bc, after having sufficiently dealt with issues in Babylon, Sargon campaigned in the west and brought the wayward territories back into line. Sargon defeated the king of Hamath, who seems to have been responsible for the defection of several provinces, including Arpad, Simirra, Damascus, and Samaria (Younger, COS, 2.118E). Sargon subjugated Samaria, deported a substantial portion of the Israelite population, and established a governor to rule on his behalf. This officially ended Israel’s existence as an independent entity. Samaria, now the Assyrian province of “Samarina,” was populated with people from other subjugated territories (Kelle—Strawn, “History of Israel 5,” 469).