Nadene Goldfoot
Assyrian battles with Israel and Judah
1. Battle of Qarqar
The Battle of Qarqar took place in 853 BCE, and was fought by Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria, and a coalition of 11 kings including Ahab, king of Israel, son of Omri ruled (876-853 BCE), wife was Jezebel, daughter of king of Sidon, who introduced Baal worship into Isrel. There was a big struggle betweein the king and and prophets headed by Elijah. Ahab was killed by fighting in Damascus. In the Kurkh Monoliths, it is mentioned that the Israelite forces constituted 10,000 troops and 2,000 chariots. It seems unlikely that the Kingdom of Israel could possess an army superior to that of the Kingdom of Aram-Damascus. The number of chariots in Ahab's forces was probably closer to a number in the hundreds (based upon archaeological excavations of the area and the foundations of stables that have been found). Archaeologist Nadav Na'aman believes it to be a scribal error in regard to the size of Ahab's army and suggested that the he sent 200 instead of 2,000 chariots. Another possible explanation is that the forces attributed to Ahab include those belonging to his allies, such as the Kingdom of Judah, the Kingdom of Tyre and the Kingdom of Moab; however, those kingdoms aren't named in the monolith.
Battle 
Siege of Jerusalem
2. In 721 BCE, the Assyrian army captured the Israelite capital at Samaria and carried away the citizens of the northern kingdom into captivity (Lost Ten Tribes of Israel) . The virtual destruction of Israel left the southern kingdom, Judah, to fend for itself among warring Near Eastern kingdoms. The siege took place in approximately 701 BCE by Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The siege failed and Jerusalem survived until its eventual destruction by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar.
3. King of Assyria, Sennacherib, and his campaign in Judah was a military conflict in 701 BCE between Kingdom of Judah and the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the conflict is part of the greater conflict of Sennacherib's campaigns. The conflict is considered one of the greatest victories of Judah at that time, from being a vassal state of Assyria, to beating the Assyrian empire and being completely independent. The story of the Assyrian siege is told in the Biblical books of Isaiah (7th century BCE), Second Kings (mid-6th century BCE) and Chronicles (c. 350–300 BCE). As the Assyrians began their invasion, King Hezekiah began preparations to protect Jerusalem. In an effort to deprive the Assyrians of water, springs outside the city were blocked. Workers then dug a 533-meter tunnel to the Spring of Gihon, providing the city with fresh water. Additional siege preparations included fortification of the existing walls, construction of towers, and the erection of a new reinforcing wall. Hezekiah gathered the citizens in the square and encouraged them by reminding them that the Assyrians possessed only "an arm of flesh", but the Judeans had the protection of Yahweh.
According to 2 Kings 18, while Sennacherib was besieging Lachish, he received a message from Hezekiah offering to pay tribute in exchange for Assyrian withdrawal. According to the Hebrew Bible, Hezekiah paid 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold to Assyria—a price so heavy that he was forced to empty the temple and royal treasury of silver and strip the gold from the doorposts of Solomon's temple. Nevertheless, Sennacherib marched on Jerusalem with a large army. When the Assyrian force arrived, its field commander Rabshakeh brought a message from Sennacherib. In an attempt to demoralize the Judeans, the field commander announced to the people on the city walls that Hezekiah was deceiving them, and that Yahweh could not deliver Jerusalem from the king of Assyria. He listed the gods of other peoples defeated by Sennacherib then asked, "Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me?"
During the siege, Hezekiah dressed in sackcloth (a sign of mourning), but the prophet Isaiah assured him that the city would be delivered and Sennacherib would fail. Overnight, an angel killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. Some scholars believe this number has been transcribed incorrectly, with one study suggesting the number was originally 5,180.
4. Siege of Lachish
Lachish was an ancient Canaanite town of 15th century BCE. It was captured by Joshua and fortified by King Rehoboam. It was Sennacherib who besieged and took the town. The siege of Lachish occurred in 701 BCE, by the Neo-Assyrian empire, and ended with the conquest of the town. The towns inhabitants were led into captivity and the leaders of Lachish tortured to death. The town was abandoned, but resettled after the return from Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city some time before the fall of Jerusalem. A Temple stood here. 21 letters were found here written on pottery (potsherds).
5. Battle of Megiddo 
The Battle of Megiddo is recorded as having taken place in 609 BCE with Necho II of Egypt leading his army to Carchemish to fight with his allies the Assyrians against the Babylonians at Carchemish in northern Syria. This required passing through territory controlled by the Kingdom of Judah and Necho requested permission from its king, Josiah. Josiah refused to let the Egyptians pass and a battle took place in which Josiah was killed. The battle is recorded in the Bible, 1 Esdras, and the writings of Josephus.
6. Jewish–Babylonian war
The Jewish–Babylonian war was a military conflict between the Kingdom of Judah and Babylonia that lasted 15 years from 601 to 586 BCE. The conflict marked the end of the Kingdom of Judah and Jewish independence until the Hasmonean revolt. After Babylonia invaded Jerusalem it destroyed the First Temple, and started the Babylonian exile.Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem in 597 BCE, and managed to capture the city and king Jehoiachin, along with all of the aristocracy of Jerusalem. He also looted the treasures of the temple, including the golden implements. Then Nebuchadnezzar exiled 10,000 of the officers, and the craftsmen, and 7,000 soldiers. Then, he appointed Jehoiachin's uncle, Mattaniah as king of Judah. Later, Mattaniah changed his name to Zedekiah.
6a. First siege of Jerusalem
In 605 BCE Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon defeated Pharaoh Neco at the Battle of Carchemish, and subsequently invaded Judah. To avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, King Jehoiakim of Jerusalem, in his third year, changed allegiances from Egypt to Babylon. He paid tribute from the treasury in Jerusalem, some temple artifacts, and some of the royal family and nobility as hostages. In 601 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar failed to invade Egypt, the failure led to rebellions among states in the Levant including Judah. Nebuchadnezzar sieged Jerusalem in 597 BCE, and managed to get in and capture king Jehoiachin, and all of the Aristocracy of Jerusalem. The siege resulted with fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the First Temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar exiled 10,000 of the officers, and the craftsmen, and 7,000 soldiers.
6b. Second Siege of Jerusalem
In July 587 BCE, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylonia, making an alliance with Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar sieged Jerusalem again, starving the people. The siege resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the Kingdom of Judah.
Classic era
Maccabees 
Judah Maccabee, the Hammerer, son of Mattathias, military leader of the revolt against Syria in 168 BCE. His father had created the Hasmonean dynasty. Chanukah comes to us from this history of saving Judaism. Judah hit his enemy again and again in guerilla fighting, first used; thus called the Hammer.
The Maccabees (Hebrew: מכבים or מקבים, Makabim) were a Jewish warrior community who spearheaded a national liberation movement that fought for and won independence from Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator. The Maccabees founded the Hasmonean royal dynasty and established Jewish independence in the Land of Israel for about one hundred years, from 164 BCE to 63 BCE.
Jewish–Roman wars 
General (Aluf) Bar Kokhba (Simeon ben Kosiba)
The Jewish–Roman wars followed the Roman annexation of Iudaea, taking place from 66 to 135 CE. Those were the First Jewish–Roman War, Temple destroyed and city of Jerusalem burned in 70 CE, Kitos War and finally Bar Kokhba revolt 132-135 CE. He was the nephew of Rabbi Eleazar of Modiin and of Davidic descent. He revolted against Hadrian in 132, which he led. Why revolt? The Romans were rebuilding Jerusalem as a roman colony and the prohibition of circumcision were factors; the practice of crucifiction for little reason, taking away their right to govern themselves with a king of their own choice, not Rome's.
Himyarite Kingdom
In modern day Yemen, the Ancient Himyarite Kingdom appears to have abandoned polytheism and converted to Judaism around the year 380. Accompanied with a strong military prowess, they proved to be a matching force to the Christian empires of Byzantium and Axum for 200 years. After having conquered a major part of the Arabic peninsula, the Himyarite Empire has been annexed by the Kingdom of Axum.
Revolt against Gallus
In mid-4th century Jews of Galilee launched the Revolt against Gallus, aiming to defeat Roman troops across Galilee.
Exilarch revolt in Persia
Mar Zutra II, who came into Exilarch office at the age of fifteen, took advantage of the confusion into which Mazdak's communistic attempts had plunged Sasanian Persia, to obtain by force of arms for a short time a sort of political independence for the Jews of Babylon. King Kobad, however, punished him by crucifying him on the bridge of Mahuza c. 502.
Byzantine period
In early 7th century Near Eastern Jews launched Jewish revolt against Heraclius, in hopes of gaining an autonomy in Jerusalem with Persian Sasanian support.
Resource:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_military_history
No comments:
Post a Comment