* See art. ‘Chariot’ in this Dict. and in Encycl. Bibl., and algo ‘ Army.’
ἡ Cf. Stade, Gesch. i. p. 588, n. 1.
t We have no alternative but to follow the MT at this point ; UXX ἐναντίον οἴκου is an obvious corruption of the text εἰς ἄντρον ἔχου. Of. the closely parallel 1 K 1618, Klostermann in place of 32) 339% ΠΝ would read 1733 NRD Y27¥ Ny, evidently based on the LXX ava τῶν τιτρακυσίων and O43 ΒΦ of the Heb. text in the latter part of She verse.
PEKAH
| his career of conquest (like the kings of Franca
who preceded him) profited by a disunited Germany and a disunited Italy, so the successive monarchs who reigned in Nineveh reaped an abundant harvest from the divided and too often mutually hostile policies of the Palestinian states. Onl for a brief period near the close of his career di Ahab pursue the only intelligent principle of self- preservation against the pent (which was then some- what distant from Israel), viz. alliance with Syria against the Assyrian foe. This sound course of action was abandoned at the close of Ahab’s life, as the result of a humiliating defeat at the hands of Assyria; and the fatal and short-sighted policy of selfish isolation, and even of compliance by means of tribute to the Assyrian pawets was pur- sued in succession by Jehu, in al petites a! Jeroboam I1., and also, as we know definitely from both Assyrian and Hebrew records, by Menahem.
Pekah and his contemporary Rezin,* king of Syria, had the intelligence to perceive that it was only through a common policy pursued by the allied Palestinian states that the formidable power of Tiglath-pileser ΠῚ. could be checked. Accord- ingly we may regard it as probable that the insurrection against the son of Menahem was sus- tained by the deep discontent aroused by his con- tinuance of his father’s policy of subservience and tributary vassalage to Assyria. Whether this insurrection was fomented by an Egyptian Party, as Kittel+ supposes, we consider very doubtful. For Egypt at that time (viz. the close of the 23rd and the brief 24th dynasty) was hardly in a position to give any practical support to the patriotic oP ponents of Assyria.t Six years later, during the strong rule of the Ethiopian Sabaco (Shabaka), Egypt rose into a position of much greater strength, and endeavoured to control the course of Western Asian politics. Two parties then arose in Ephraim as well as in Judah which favoured the claims re- spectively of Assyria and of Egypt. See HOSHEA,
Jotham was the monarch who reigned in Judah at the time when the alliance was concluded between Pekah king of Ephraim and Rezin of Damascus against Assyria. We read nothing of overtures made to Jotham to join this confederacy. It is not improbable, however, that they were made. Jotham, as we may certainly suppose, declined to join the alliance, deeming the policy of neutrality to be safest. Accordingly the armies of Damascus and Samaria were united against Judah in order to coerce the latter into compli- ance. In the midst of the campaign Jotham died, and was succeeded by the youthful Ahaz. By this time, if not before, Philistia had joined the corli- tion. Pekah, during the reign of Ahaz, assumed the offensive, and moved witinlite army against tie capital of Judah itself. Meanwhile his ally, Reziu, was carrying on operations in the east and south- east of Judah, in the trans-Jordanie country. Elath, the port in the Red Sea, a valuable outlet for the commerce which passed into and from the Red Sea, was wrested from Ahaz by the successful arms of Rezin (2 Καὶ 16°). See art. ELATH.
Jerusalem was now closely invested by the beleaguering force of the Ephraimites. 2Ch 2861} containing a beautiful episode in which the prophet Oded plays a conspicuous part, but containing also characteristic exaggerations of numerical detail, must be placed in a secondary rank of historic record. The graphic scene described in Is 7 need not detain us, as it properly belongs to the reign of Ahaz (see AHAZ). It was proposed by the hostile
* LXX 'Ραασσών and Assyr. Ragunnu clearly indicate that ΠῚ is the true and original form of the name (signifying ‘good pleasure,’ ‘ grace,’ or ‘ favour’).
1 Geach. der Hebrier. ii. 236 (Eng. tr. il. 888].
g
t Comp. Meyer, Gesch. alten tens, p. 343; McCurdy HPM i 337.) ee
coalition to place ἃ son οἵ TAb-él on the throne of Judah. 'Lhe parallelism with ben Remaliah would lead us to suppose (1) that Rezin (or perhaps his brother) is meant, and (2) that Tab-él was an obscure personage. Winckler (Alttest. Unters.
pp- 73-76) considers that Tab-él (=Tab-Ramman) rei, in
ed in Damascus c. 773-740. The Judean king in his extremity paid no heed to Isaiah’s inspirit- ing counsels ‘not to fear nor let his heart be soft because of the two stumps of smoking firebrands, Rezin and the son of Remaliah,’ but despatched envoys to Tiglath-pileser tendering abject sub- mission, and conveying a rich tribute in money. The Assyrian monarch soon turned his conquering Peas towards the Palestinian states (B.C. 734).
is heavy hand was first felt by Damascus. Rezin was overpowered, and lost his life. For Israel the results were overwhelming and disastrous. The kingdom was shorn of its northern and trans- Jordanic(?) provinces. Isaiah, with that marvellous literary power of description,