1 Samuel – 2 Kings
Week 6 of 8
Readings for the Week
October 22-27, 2018
Theme of the week: The prophets confront the kings, mostly dealing with the northern kingdom.
- Monday Hosea chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9
- Tuesday Hosea chapters 10, 11, 12,13 & 14
- Wednesday Amos chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
- Thursday Amos chapters 6, 7, 8 & 9
- Friday 2 Kings 15, 16, & 17
- Saturday The book of Jonah
NOTE: Nineveh was the capital of Assyria
The book of Nehum
The Bible In A Year
1 Samuel – 2 Kings
Week 6 of 8
A Framework for Understanding
Assyrian Empire
Assyria had been around for over 1500 years before we read about it in 2 Kings! The portion of Assyrian history which is covered in the Bible is known as the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
In 722BCE Assyria conquered the northern kingdom. At this point in history, the northern kingdom ceased to exist. The inhabitants, an estimated 27,000 people, were taken into exile. They never returned and the northern kingdom was never rebuilt. Sometime these exiles are referred to as “the lost tribes of Israel” because the northern kingdom was made up of 10 of the Israelite tribes. The exiles were taken to Nineveh and made to rebuild its irrigation canals.
Also, Assyrians moved in to populate that area of the empire, the area known as Samaria. Over time the few remaining Jews in Samaria married Assyrians. This intermarriage was considered by those in the southern kingdom to be a betrayal of God. The relations between the Jews and the Samaritans have never improved. Still today in Israel there are those who look down upon Samaritans.
In 701 Assyria turned its attention to the southern kingdom. The total annihilation of Jerusalem was avoided by the payment of tribute to the king of Assyria.
Assyria remained the dominant power in the area for 100 more years. It is height the Neo-Assyrian Empire was the first geographical huge empire, encompassing lands from Egypt through Palestine and the Fertile Crescent to the borders of modern-day Iraq. The Assyrian introduce the Aramaic language to the land, which was still the language of the people in the time of Jesus.