After the revolt of Israel from Rehoboam, Jerus. was attacked by Shishak, king of Egypt (about B.C. 935), when the gold shields made by Solomon fell a prey, with all the treasures of the Temple and of the Palace. We possess a monumental record in which Shishak (Sbeshonk) gives the names of 133 cities in Pal. subdued durinij this campaign, and the last name lura . . ., tliough untortunately half-defaced, may perhaps represent Jerusalem. Another attack on the city (about B.C. 850) is recorded (2 Ch 21'") in the reign of .lehorara, when the Phil, and Arabs near Egypt sacked the ' king's house.' After the revolution of .Jehu, and murder of Ahaziah, king of Judah, at Jezreel, Athaliah, who had usurped the throne of her grandson, was slain at the entrance of the palace, probably about B.C. 842 (2 K ll'«, 2 Ch23''); and about B.C. 788 Jeboash of Israel marched on Jerus. from the W jilain, and broke down 400 cubits of the wall on the W., carrying oil' once more the treasures of the Temple and of the Palace (2 K 14'»- ", 2 Ch 25=^). The incursion of Ramman-nirari from Assyria (about B.C. 803) into N. Israel and to Damascus, no doubt accounts for the strengthening of Jerus. by Uzziah (2 Ch 26'- "), when lowers were built on the \V., on that part of the wall broken down some twenty years before. The city was protected by engines of war, similar to those shown in Assyr. pictures. Jotham (about B.C. 742-736) also strengthened J. by building the ' higher gate ' of the 'Temple, and a wall on Ophel, S. of the same (2 K 15--*, 2 Ch 27^). The conquests of 'Tiglath-
Sileser in Syria were then causing anxiety in udah. Ahaz, the next king, was tributary to this Assyr. conqueror (about B.C. 734), and before that date he was attacked by the enemies of
JERUSALEM
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Tiplath-pileser, — Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Samaria, — wlio, however, failed to take .lerus. (2 K IG'). The fall of Samaria to Sargon alarmed Hezekiah, eon of Ahaz, and the great improve- ments— from a mUilaiy point of view — which ■were carried out in Jems., in the water supply of SiLOAM (which see), may have been begun by Ahaz at the time of the fall of Damascus in B.C. 732 (Is 8'). The advance of Sennacherib rendered it necessary to prepare for attack about B.C. 701 (Is 22"), and the aqueduct from Gilion to SLloam was probably complete when the As.syr. came to Jerus. (2 K20'", 2Cli 32*). The account which we possess of this attack id the records of Senna- cherib harmonizes with that found in the Bible (2 K 18'-'-19", 2 Ch 32"-^, Is 36. 37). Sennacherib records (see Schrader, KAT-) that he invaded Philistia in B.C. 701, and defeated the E;;yptians at Altaka j that ho set up new tributary rulers in Ekron and Ashdod ; and ' captured forty-six cities' of Judah, shutting up Hezekiah in Jerus., like 'a bird in a cage.' He speaks of the riches sent to Nineveh from Jerus., but is silent regard- ing the ilisaster that overtook his army on the Egj'ptian frontier, drove back the Assyr. beyond the Euphrates, and saved .Jerus. for a century. The alliance with Egypt (see Is 30") prevented any danger from Egypt to Hezekiah's ca|iital, but that with Babylon (Is 39) was less useful, since jMerodach-baladan was defeated by Sennacherib in li.C. 696. Manasseh (acceding probably about DC". 095) was tributarj' to Esarhaddon and A.ssur- banipal, according to their inscriptions, and the furuier attacked Ejrypt in 080, and linally took Mcuipbis (Nah 3*) in B.C. 070. The carrying of Manasseh to Babylon (2 Ch 33") appears to have occurred under Assiirbanipal (see Jo.s. Ant. x. iii. 2) after B.C. UOS, and this King is known to have restored Babylon as his southern capital. The further fortilication of Jeru.s. by a wall on Ophel, outside the original city of David, and extendin" to the Fish Gate on the N. of Jems., was ell'ected apparently after his restoration. Anion, the suc- cessor of Manasseh, reigTied only two years, and the rule of Josiah coincided with the last years of Assj'r. empire, witnessing the terrible Scythian raid which swept down to the borders of Egypt. The Law was discovered in the Temple, and a great reformation ettected in B.C. 621 (2 K 22, 2 Ch 34) ; but in B.C. 609 Necho marched to the aid of the Babylonians and Umman-manda (see Davidson, Kahiim, note at end), who combined against Nine- veh, and Josiah, endeavouring to stop his advance, was slain at Megiddo (2 K 23-"-'). The allies soon quarrelled over the spoils ; and the defeat of Necho at Carchemish left I'al. an easy pre^ to Nebuch. of Babylon, the new master of \\ . Asia. In B.C. 597 Jerus. wa.s taken and despoiled (2 K 2-l""">), and Jehoiachin carried to Babjlou. In B.C. 5S6 Nebuch. again attacked Zedekiali, who fled 'by the way to the Arabah ' (2 K 2.V), or from the S.E. side of the city. On the 7th of Ab the city was entered by the Babylonians, and on the 9tli (about 1st Aug.), according to the .Mishnic traditions (7'ar(m7/i iv. 7), the ancient Temple of Solomon was destroyed, with the Palace and all the chief buildings of Jerusalem. The walls were broken down. The treasures of the city hail alrividj' been taken in the lirst raid ; the sacred vessels were now carried away (2 K 25", 2 Ch 36'"), and the ark itself was probably removed, since Nebuchailnezzar s prac- tice in other ciises was to carry oil' all objects of veneration belonging to defeated peoples. Many of the chief men of Judah had followed Jehoiachin into captivity, and the rest now followed Zede- kiali, leaving only the ' [loor of the land as vine- dressers and husbandmen' under a Babylonian ruler of Palestine (2 K 25'^).