The Historical Background of “Proto-Isaiah.” 

        During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Assyria passed through a phase of weakness and civil war; but when Pul, an Assyrian general, seized the crown in 745 B.C., five years before Uzziah’s death, and adopted the title of Tiglath-Pileser III, it was the beginning of a new period of aggression and expansion which reached its climax in the conquest of Egypt and its end in the destruction of Nineveh itself (612 B.C.).

        By 738 B.C. Rezin of Damascus, Hiram of Tyre, and Menahem of Israel had all become tributary to Assyria. In 735 B.C. Pekah, who had murdered Menahem’s son, and Rezin raised the standard of revolt. They attacked Judah, presumably to force her into an anti-Assyrian alliance (7:1f; IIKings 16:5f, IIChron. 28:5-15). In spite of Isaiah’s efforts, Ahaz appealed to Tiglath-Pileser for help. In 734 B.C. the Philistine cities were captured. In 732 B.C. Damascus was captured and the inhabitants carried into captivity. Israel under Hoshea yielded at the cost of the loss of Trans-Jordan and Galilee, whose inhabitants were carried away (IIKings 15:29; 16:9; IChron. 5:6, 26). Ahaz naturally became tributary.

        An increase in Egyptian power encouraged Israel to revolt against Shalmaneser V, Tiglath-Pileser’s successor (IIKings 17:4). The inevitable result was the capture of Samaria in 722 B.C. by Shalmaneser, and the deportation of its inhabitants by his successor Sargon (IIKings 17:5f).

        At that time Judah had remained loyal to Assyria, but from 715 B.C. Egyptian intrigues increasingly inclined Heze­kiah to revolt. Though involved in the revolt of the Philis­tines, Judah escaped apparently scot free in 711 B.C. (ch. 20); it may be that Hezekiah was able to yield in time. It is likely that the ambassadors of Merodach-Baladan (ch. 39) are to be dated between this and 701 B.C.

        When Sennacherib followed Sargon in 705 B.C., most of the Assyrian empire rose in revolt. Hezekiah was one of the leaders of the revolt in the west. Sennacherib was not to deal with the west till 701 B.C., but then opposition quickly col­lapsed. An Egyptian army was decisively defeated, and Hezekiah yielded, receiving very onerous terms (IIKings 18:13-16) Sennacherib, with a treachery he showed on other occasions as well, changed his mind and demanded the sur­render of the city (IIKings 18:17-19:8; Isa. 36:1-37:8 — cf. also Isa. 33:1-12). This demand was not supported by any very great force, and was refused.

        The more obvious interpretation of IIKings 19:9-35 and Isa. 37:9-37 is that Sennacherib, with his hands full, con­tented himself with writing a threatening letter, and the smiting of his host by the angel of the Lord led to his abandon­ing the campaign. Many, however, consider that there is a gap between IIKings 19:8 and 9 (Isa. 37:8 and 9) of rather more than ten years — this is quite compatible with the Hebrew method of writing history — and that Sennacherib had a second campaign in the west. The Assyrian records here are incomplete. For a full discussion see Bright, A History of Israel, pp. 282-287. It should be remembered that the results of Sennacherib’s invasion were so disastrous for Judah that henceforth she remained a loyal vassal of Assyria.