Sargon II, captor of Samaria, with a dignitary

Sargon II (r. 721 BC-705 BC) was an Assyrian king. He took the throne from Shalmanassar V in 722 BC. It is not clear if he was the son of Tiglatpilesar III or a usurper unrelated to the royal family. In his inscriptions, he styles himself as a new man, rarely referring to his predecessors, and he took the name Sharru-kinu, true king, after Sargon of Akkad, a mighty king who had been found in a wicker basket, a child of a temple prostitute and an unknown father. Sargon is the name given by the Bible. Download high resolution version (1000x1483, 197 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1000x1483, 197 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Samaria, Sumaria or Shomron (Hebrew שֹׁמְרוֹן, Standard Hebrew Šoməron, Tiberian Hebrew Šōmərôn, Arabic سامريّون Sāmariyyūn) is a term used for the mountainous northern part of the West Bank. ... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC Events and Trends 728 BC - Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis and receives the submission of the rulers... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC - 700s BC - 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC Events and Trends 708 BC - Spartan immigrants found Taras (Tarentum, the modern Taranto) colony in southern Italy. ... Assyria in earliest historical times referred to a region on the Upper Tigris river, named for its original capital, the city of Asshur (or Ashshur). ... Shalmaneser V first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III and is supposed by H. Winckler to have been the son of the latter king. ... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC Events and Trends 728 BC - Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis and receives the submission of the rulers... Tiglath-Pileser III — stela from the walls of his palace (British Museum, London) Tiglath-Pileser III or IV (or Tilgath-Pil-neser), was a prominent king of Assyria in the 8th century BC (ruled 744–727 BC). ... Sargon (2334 BC - 2279 BC short chronology) was the first person in recorded history to create an empire, or multi-ethnic state. ... The holy Jewish scripture: The Torah. ...

Beset by difficulties at the beginning of his rule, Sargon made a pact with the Chaldean Marduk-apla-iddin. He freed all temples, as well as the inhabitants of the towns of Assur and Harran from taxes. While Sargon was thus trying to gain support in Assyria, Marduk-apla-iddin conquered Babylon with the help of the new Elamite king Ummanigash and was crowned king in 721. Marduk-apal-iddina II (the biblical Merodach-baladan, also called Marduk-baladan, Baladan and Berodach-baladan) (722–702 BCE), Chaldean prince, who usurped the Babylonian throne in 721. ... The city of Asshur (or Assur or Ashur) on the Tigris was originally a colony of Babylonia, and later became the first capital city of Assyria, to which it gave its name. ... Harran, also known as Carrhae, is an archeological site in present day southeastern Turkey, 24 miles (39 kilometers) southeast of Sanli Urfa. ...

In 720 Sargon moved against Elam, but the Assyrian host was defeated near Der. Later this year, Sargon defeated a Syrian coalition at Qarqar, which gained him control of Arpad, Simirra and Damascus. Sargon conquered Gaza in Palestine, destroyed Raphia and won a victory over Egyptian troops. On his way back, he had Samaria rebuilt as the capital of the new province of Samerina and settled it with Arabs. Damascus by night, the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria and is the oldest inhabited city in the world. ... The city of Gaza is the principal city in the Gaza Strip. ... Palestine (Latin: Syria Palæstina; Hebrew: פלשתינה Palestina, ארץ־ישראל Eretz Yisrael; Arabic: فلسطين Filasá¹­Ä«n) is the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River, plus various adjoining lands to the east. ... Rafah (Arabic: رفح Hebrew: רפיח) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... Samaria, Sumaria or Shomron (Hebrew שֹׁמְרוֹן, Standard Hebrew Šoməron, Tiberian Hebrew Šōmərôn, Arabic سامريّون Sāmariyyūn) is a term used for the mountainous northern part of the West Bank. ...

In 717 he conquered parts of the Zagros mountains and the Hittite city of Carchemish on the Upper Euphrates. In 716 he moved against the kingdom of Mannai, where the ruler Aza, son of Iranzu, had been deposed by Ullusunu with the help of the Urartians. Sargon took the capital Izirtu, and stationed troops in Parsuash (original home of Persian tribe, on lake Urmia) and Kar-Nergal (Kishesim). He built new bases in Media as well, the main being Harhar and Kar-Sharrukin. In 715, others were to follow: Kar-Nabu, Kar-Sin and Kar-Ishtar, all named after Babylonian gods and resettled by Assyrian subjects. The Zagros Mountains (In Persian:رشته‌کوه‌های زاگرس) make up Irans second largest mountain range. ... The Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa (the modern village of Boğazköy in north-central Turkey), through most of the second millennium BC. The Hittite kingdom, which at its height controlled central... Carchemish (pr. ... Length 2,800 km Elevation of the source 4,500 m Average discharge 818 m³/s Area watershed 765,831 km² Origin Lake Van Mouth Shatt al Arab Basin countries Turkey Syria Iraq Boat on the Shatt-al-Arab The Euphrates (the traditional Greek name for the river, which is... The Mannaeans were an ancient people of Asia Minor, occupying the region East of Assyria and South-East of Urartu, in present-day North-West Iran. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Cities in Iran ... Nabu is the Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as the son of Marduk and his consort, Sarpanitum, and as the grandson of Ea. ... Sin has been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ... Ishtar is the Akkadian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate northwest Semitic goddess `Ashtart. ...

The 8th campaign of Sargon against Urartu in 714 is well known from a letter from Sargon to the god Ashur (found in the town of Assur, now in the Louvre, Paris) and the bas-reliefs in the palace of Dur-Sharrukin. The campaign was probably motivated by the fact that the Urartians had been weakened by incursions of the Cimmerians, a nomadic steppe tribe. One Urartian army had been completely annihilated, and the General Qaqqadanu taken prisoner. Urartu map Urartu map Urartu map Urartu was an ancient kingdom in eastern Anatolia, centred in the mountainous region around Lake Van (present-day Turkey), which existed from about 1000 BC, or earlier, until 585 BC, and which, at its apogee, stretched from northern Mesopotamia through the southern Caucasus, involving... The city of Asshur (or Assur or Ashur) on the Tigris was originally a colony of Babylonia, and later became the first capital city of Assyria, to which it gave its name. ... The main courtyard of the Louvre at night. ... Human-headed winged bull, found during Bottas excavation. ...

The Cimmerians were mentioned a number of times in letters by the crown-prince Sennacherib, who ran his father's intelligence service, that unfortunately cannot be dated exactly, but are believed to have been composed before 713. The letters relate how Sargon crossed the upper and lower Zab and moved over the mountains of Kullar in the direction of Lake Urmia, crossing the country of Zikirtu, whose ruler Metatti had fled to Uishdish, the provinces of Surikash, Allabria and parts of Parsuash. The reliefs show the difficulties of the terrain: the war-chariots had to be dismantled and carried by soldiers (with the king still in the chariot), the latter describes how ways had to be cut into the intractable forests. Sennacherib in his chariot Sennacherib (in Akkadian Sin-ahhe-eriba, Sin (the moon god) has taken the place of brothers to me) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria in (705–681 BC). ... The Zab (also known as the Zawa in Syriac) is a river that splits from the Tigris and flows from northern Iraq into southeastern Turkey. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Cities in Iran ...

After reaching Lake Urmia he turned east and entered Zikirtu and Andia on the Caspian slopes of the Caucasus. When news reached him that king Rusas I of Urartu (730-713 BC) was moving against him, he turned back to Lake Urmia in forced marches and defeated an Urartian army in a steep valley of the Uaush (probably the Sahend, east of Lake Urmia, or further to the South, in Mannaean country), a steep mountain that reached the clouds and whose flanks were covered by snow. The battle is described as the usual carnage, but King Rusas managed to escape. The horses of his chariot had been killed by Assyrian spears, forcing him to ride a mare in order to get away, very unbecoming for a king. The Caucasus , a region boardering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ...

Sargon plundered the fertile lands at the southern and western shore of Lake Urmia, felling orchards and burning the harvest. In the royal resort of Ulhu, the wine-cellar of the Urartian kings was plundered; wine was scooped up like water. The Assyrian host then plundered Sangibuti and marched north to Van without meeting resistance, the people having retreated to their castles or fled into the mountains, having been warned by fire-signals. Sargon claims to have destroyed 430 empty villages. Van can mean: Van, a road vehicle. ...

After reaching Lake Van, Sargon left Urartu via Uaiaish. In Hubushkia he received the tribute of Nairi. While most of the army returned to Assyria, Sargon went on to sack the Urartian temple of the god Haldi and his wife Bagbartu at Musasir (Ardini). The loot must have been impressive; its description takes up 50 columns in the letter to Assur. More than 1 ton of gold and 5 tons of silver fell into the hands of the Assyrians; 334,000 objects in total. A relief from Dur Sharrukin depicted the sack of Musasir as well (that unfortunately fell into the Tigris in 1846 when Botta transported his loot to Paris). Musasir was annexed. Sargon claims to have lost only one charioteer, 2 horsemen and three couriers on this occasion. King Rusa was understandably despondent when he heard of the loss of Musasir, and fell ill. According to the imperial annals, he took his own life with his own iron sword, like a pig. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

In 713 Sargon stayed at home; his troops took, among others, Karalla, Tabal and Cilicia. Some Mede rulers offered tribute. In 711, Gurgum was conquered. A rising in Ashdod, supported by Judah, Moab, Edom and Egypt was suppressed, and Ashdod became an Assyrian province. Tabals (also Tobal, Tubal, Jabal, and Tibarenoi) were an indigenous tribe of Asia Minor, who inhabited Great Cappadocia, now part of Turkey. ... In ancient geography, Cilicia (Ki-LIK-ya) formed a district on the southeastern coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), north of Cyprus. ... Ashdod (Hebrew אַשְׁדּוֹד, Standard Hebrew Ašdod;, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAšdôḏ, Arabic إسدود ʾIsdūd) is a port city in Israel located halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza, in the Southern District of Israel. ... Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hûḏāh) is the name of several Biblical and historical figures. ... Moab (מוֹאָב Seed of father/leader, Standard Hebrew Moʾav, Tiberian Hebrew Môʾāḇ) is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan running along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. ... Edom (אֱדוֹם, Standard Hebrew Edom, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔḏôm) sounds like the Biblical Hebrew word for red and is a vividly apposite designation for the red sandstones of Edom. ...

In 710 Sargon felt safe enough in his rule to move against his Babylonian arch-enemy. One army moved against Elam and her new king Shutruk-Nahhunte II (Shutur-Nahundi); the other, under Sargon himself, against Babylon. Sargon laid siege to Babylon, and Marduk-apla-iddin fled. He was finally captured in the swamps of the Shatt-el-Arab (though as he seems to have proven a thorn in the side of Sennacherib later on, this might not have been quite true). Southern Babylonia, settled by nomadic Aramaic tribes, was conquered and turned into the province of Gambulu. Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ...

After the capture of Marduk-apla-iddin, Babylon yielded to Sargon and he was proclaimed king of Babylonia in 710, thus restoring the dual monarchy of Babylonia and Assyria. He remained in Babylon for three years. In 709, he led the new-year procession as king of Babylon. He had his son, crown-prince Sennacherib, married to the Aramaic noblewoman Naqi'a, and stayed in the south to pacify the Aramaic and Chaldean tribes of the lower Euphrates as well as the Suti nomads. Some areas at the border to Elam were occupied as well.

In 710, the seven kings of Ia' (Cyprus) had accepted Assyrian sovereignty; in 709 Midas, king of Phrygia, beset by the nomadic Cimmerians, submitted to Assyrian rule and in 708, Kummuhu (Commagene) became an Assyrian province. Assyria was at the apogee of its power. Urartu had almost succumbed to the Cimmerians, Elam was weakened, Marduk-apla-iddin was momentarily powerless, and the Egyptian influence in Syria was temporarily waning as well. Midas was a character in Greek mythology, who is most recognized for his ability to turn anything he touched into gold. ... In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of the Anatolian highlands, part of modern Turkey. ... Kommagene (Latin Commagene) was a small kingdom, located in modern south-central Turkey, with its capital at Samosata (modern Samsat). ...

Sargon preferred Niniveh to the traditional capital at Ashur. In 713 he ordered the construction of a new palace and town called Dur-Sharrukin (House of Sargon, Khorsabad), 20 km north of Niniveh at the foot of the Gebel Musri. Land was bought, and the debts of construction workers were nullified in order to attract a sufficient labour force. The land in the environs of the town was taken under cultivation, and olive groves were planted to increase Assyria's deficient oil-production. The town was of rectangular layout and measured 1760 by 1635 m. The length of the walls was 16,280 Assyrian units, corresponding to the numerical value of Sargon's name. The town was partly settled by prisoners of war and deportees under the control of Assyrian officials ,who had to assure they were paying sufficient respect to the gods and the king. The court moved to Dur-Sharrukin in 706, although it was not completely finished yet. This article is about the ancient Middle Eastern city of Nineveh. ... Human-headed winged bull, found during Bottas excavation. ... Species About 20, including: Olea brachiata Olea capensis Olea caudatilimba Olea europaea Olea exasperata Olea guangxiensis Olea hainanensis Olea laxiflora Olea neriifolia Olea paniculata Olea parvilimba Olea rosea Olea salicifolia Olea tetragonoclada Olea tsoongii Olea undulata // Overview The olives (Olea) are a genus of about 20 species of small trees...

In 705, Sargon fell in a campaign against the Cimmerians, who were later to destroy the kingdoms of Urartu and Phrygia before moving even further west. Sargon was followed by his son Sennacherib (Sin-ahhe-eriba, 704-681 BC).

Under his rule the Assyrians completed the defeat of the Kingdom of Israel, capturing Samaria after a siege of three years and dispersing the inhabitants. This became the basis of the legend of the Lost Ten Tribes. The Kingdom of Israel (Hebrew: מַלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yisraʼel, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ YiÅ›rāʼēl) was the Kingdom proclaimed by the Israelite nation around 1050 BCE. The nation itself was formed as the Israelites left the Land of Goshen, Egypt during the Exodus at an uncertain date, often... Samaria, Sumaria or Shomron (Hebrew שֹׁמְרוֹן, Standard Hebrew Šoməron, Tiberian Hebrew Šōmərôn, Arabic سامريّون Sāmariyyūn) is a term used for the mountainous northern part of the West Bank. ... Lost Ten Tribes, also referenced as the Ten Lost Tribes or the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, usually refers to ten of the tribes of the ancient Kingdom of Israel that disappear from the biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was totally destroyed, enslaved and exiled by ancient Assyria. ...

See also: Sargon of Akkad Sargon (2334 BC - 2279 BC short chronology) was the first person in recorded history to create an empire, or multi-ethnic state. ...

Shalmaneser V first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III and is supposed by H. Winckler to have been the son of the latter king. ... This page lists the Kings of Assyria from earliest times. ... Sennacherib in his chariot Sennacherib (in Akkadian Sin-ahhe-eriba, Sin (the moon god) has taken the place of brothers to me) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria in (705–681 BC). ...