Category Archives: Assyria our enemy

Jonah

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Jonah is one of the prophets that lived under the shadow of Assyria, we know that because he was sent to Nineveh. Nineveh was one of the three great Assyrian cities and it became the capitol. Jonah, son of Amittai is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 in conjunction with Jeroboam II. This grandson of Jehu comes to power at the time of Amaziah and Uzziah. Jonah’s prophecy concerned Israel (northern kingdom) getting territory back. I wanted to see which Assyrian king he could have proclaimed his message too.

Amaziah (796–767 BCE) ruled for 29 years and his son Uzziah ruled for 52 years; Jeroboam II ruled for 41 years and started in the middle of Amaziah’s rule. To frame this with the Book of Isaiah, Hezekiah, king of Judah, was 716–687 BCE. These are the four Assyrian kings that are mentioned from this time period.

  • Shalmaneser IV 783 – 773 BCE (2 Kings 17:3,4 and 18:9 – In the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel.)
  • There are two other kings not mentioned by name in the Bible in-between these two.
  • Tiglath-Pileser III 745 – 727 BCE – 2 Kings 15:29 and 16:10 – In the time of Pekah king of Israel (Isaiah 7+8); King Ahaz – 1 Chronicles 5:26 (historical account of deportation); 2 Chronicles 28:20 – Pul gave Ahaz trouble.
  • Sargon II 722 – 705 BCE (Isaiah 20:1 – Had Ashdod attacked.)
  • Sennacherib 705 – 681 BCE 2 Kings 18:13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them; (NIV) see 2 Chronicles 32:1, Isaiah 36:1, Isaiah 37:9. He is given credit for making Nineveh the political capitol while the other cities were religious and military centers, but had been the capitol at one time.

We do not know how old Jonah was, so it seems that between Shalmaneser and Pul are the most likely kings.

I have seen an Iron Age documentary where the narrator took two events (many years apart) from Assyria’s history to tie them to Jonah. Many documentaries use places or events in describing things in the Fertile Cresent and suggest that they influenced Biblical narratives.

List of the Kings of Judah | Bible Wiki | Fandom

Kings of the Assyrian Empire – Bible History

The Bible and Science – Cud to Curd

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So there are no soured expectation later, I am not going in to the processes of milk formation or cheese production; this is a by-product of the post – Ruminants.

Leviticus and Deuteronomy refer to animals that chew the cud and have split hooves. This was a way for the Children to determine if they should eat them; camels and rabbits chew cud but do not have split hooves. Sheep, goats, cows, and the deer-family do meet those qualifications and they have a stomach and digestive process that needs for them to rechew their food (cud). It seems that they lack the ability to produce certain enzymes.

This process starts with the animal consuming a large amount of roughage or plants. The first chew breaks the plants down, some, and adds ‘juices’ to it as it rests in an upper part of the stomach. Later, this juicy mix is pushed back up the esophagus into the mouth. There it is squeezed and the liquid is swallowed and the ruminant chews the cud.

I remember as a city-boy going to my uncle’s farm and seeing cows chewing something even when there were no plants or feed around. I asked how they were eating and I was told they were chewing the cud. That went right over my head, but I had an answer.

As the animal chews it again, the plant material is broken down more so that bacteria in the stomach have more area to work. When it is small enough, it passes into other sections of the stomach and small intestines where fatty acids and other nutrients are removed for the animal to use in bodily processes.

There were two things that I found interesting that can have a negative impact on this process:

  • Eating food that does not have enough fiber in it. Too little fibrous material can shut the process down and could lead to death.
  • Tannins are a chemical in the plants. To much of this can be toxic to the animal.

Now to the cruds. Cottage cheese is an example of curds; the stuff Little Miss Muffet ate with her whey. They are a step in the making of cheese. To help milk form into curds a chemical called rennet is added; this is found in the stomach of young cows. The young animal would give their all for the cheese making process;{

Cheese and milk are mentioned in the Bible. Remember, the Land flowed with milk and honey, which speaks to it being blessed. Cheese is the reason David got to go see Goliath, 1 Samuel 17. Jael, Judges 4, gave Sisera milk from a skin, that milk may have been curdling because they did not have refrigeration.

Paul, Peter, and the Book of Hebrews all talk about milk and compare it with food for our Christian growth.

Dear fellow SHEEP of the Flock of Jesus, I will synch this with the Ruminants post. Jesus is leading us to green pastures and quiet waters, but we still need to pay attention to what we consume. Milk is fine and needed, but at some point, we need to start eating ‘solid food’. If we don’t ‘eat’ teachings that cause us to rechew them we may lose the ability to digest ‘massa’ for our growth.

Tannins DO NOT taste nice and can be toxic; think tannic acid for curing leather. The Children of Jacob, the heirs of Abraham, were fed tannins from the time of Solomon to Jeremiah, some ate, some did not. In the writing of Amos and Isaiah the religious and political leaders are called out for their toxic ways, Isaiah 32:6 and many other verses. Under the shadow of Assyria many stayed with idols, looked to Egypt for help, and even tried to make peace with the ‘great king’ of Assyria, and then shuttered when ‘he’ came to crush them. The Father called them out for chewing on these toxins for many years and offered them hope if they would only bring ‘words with them’ when they came to repent.    

Our time in history is just as bad. Political leaders are mispresenting the Father and Jesus; be careful what you eat and then decide to rechew.

Hosea Speaks to Ephraim

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In this post I will continue the study of Hosea and start the climb into the hill country of Ephraim. If this combination sounds strange, consider that the Lord had Hosea specifically use the name of Ephraim over thirty times in eleven chapters.

Hosea – In verse 1 of Chapter 1 is the timestamp of his ministry; the three kings that I want to call attention to is Uzziah, Jotham, and the king of Israel/Samaria, Jeroboam. Jeroboam II is a grandchild of Jehu, the crazy chariot driver. This places Hosea with Amos, primarily, and Isaiah. He would have seen one Assyrian king conquer the Northern Kingdom and then another one smash Judah but not defeat Jerusalem. The shadow of the Assyrian storm cloud covers the ministry and writings of seven prophets (maybe 8) and Assyria was cruel to anyone who opposed them. Each of these writings share the heart of God as He talks to Jacob’s children and gives us glimpses of what is to come. I will encourage you to read this Assyrian period as a block; start with 2 Kings 14:23 and 2 Chronicles 26 and read all of the “Assyrian books”.

Chapters 1,2, and 3 are Hosea’s personal story and sets the allegory of his marriage to Gomer while giving the tone for the rest of the Book. On one level I know this Book is addressed to Israel the Northern Kingdom, but on level two I can see it is addressed to all of Israel starting with Judges and maybe even in the Exodus. In Hosea’s part of God’s song, he sings “Ephraim” framed by his own turbulent marriage.

Names

Names by this time in biblical-history are not just a person but large groups of people; they are tribes and kingdoms. The city names are more than just a place; many are wordplays with secondary meanings or events tied to them. I feel that some of the people names can represent different groups and are still connected with the namesake.

  • Ephraim – He was Joseph’s second son, a tribe, and here he, at times, represents the Northern Kingdom. Ephraim | The amazing name Ephraim: meaning and etymology In other books he is also the Tribe of Joseph, some of those will include Manasseh.
  • Jacob – The second-born twin of Issac and Rebecca, his name was changed by God after a wrestling match.
  • Israel – This is Jacob’s other name. It was taken by the North as their national name.
  • Jacob/Israel – I think when these names are used in the same verse or thought, they represent the natural children of Abraham (Jacob) and the spiritual seed of Abraham (Israel). You are a ‘Jacob’ by birth and an ‘Israel’ by choice; both are important to God. There are verses that this may not apply too, but I have found very few that it would not fit. (This is for your consideration only.)
  • Judah – He was the fourth son of Jacob by his first wife, Leah, and was advanced to the role of leadership by Jacob and God. His name represents the Southern Kingdom and is where the name Jew comes from.
  • Gilead – He was a man that lived in the time of Joshua and is associated with the east bank tribes. The name has been a city and a region in that area of Israel. In Hosea I have taken this name in the place of Manasseh, but Manasseh had inheritance on both sides of the Jordan.
  • Joseph the first-born son of Jacob with Rachel, the second wife, I did not find his name in Hosea. Manasseh, Joseph’s first-born son. That name is not used in Hosea.

No, I did not give meanings for most of those names;) you should look them up, you can use the link for Ephraim, there is a button on the left. The birth order is/can be a touchy subject that you can read many things into. Images, parallels, connections, and “always’ can get in the way of God’s big picture; He loves His people and wants us to follow Him not idols.

Ephraim – His part in God’s song covers the full range of notes, from high to low but always a very prominent part. When I started this study, Isaiah 28:1 was my paradigm for him as a tribe. As I read all of the verses with his name in them and his actions and God’s thoughts; I knew I needed a new paradigm. Now, he is a/the PRODIGAL SON. Hosea is the condensed version of his story, so it is a good place to start. I tend to think very linear; I am glad God is not confined to that. So, I sorted out the mentions of Ephraim using five very loose topics. They helped but they still need to be read in context, because pulling ‘A verse’ out can be misleading. I will list chapter and verse and highlight some, but all thirty-two mentions would be a very lloonngg read. I used the NIV as my reference.

  • At First – 11:3 “I taught Ephraim to walk”, start at verse 1 and go to 4, yes, it starts with Israel; 13:1a “When Ephraim spoke, men trembled”.
  • The Sin – 13:1b “But he became guilty of Baal worship and died”; 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; Chapter 5 is a series of warning and judgments with sins, plus some other named participants; 6:10 Ephraim is given to prostitution (You can read Israel in these as everyone other than Ephraim); 8:11 Ephraim built altars that became altars for sinning; 12:8 Ephraim boasts they are rich and wealthy, and that hides their sins; 6:8, 8:5, 10:5, and 12:11 are Gilead and the calf idol. Sure, there are more, hopefully you have the idea. The sin of Ephraim, making idols and picking non-Aaronic priest started in Judges.
  • Judgment – 5:9 and 14; 9:8 snares and hostilities wait for Ephraim; 9:11-16 are about Ephraim’s children (it is not pretty); 10:6 the calf idol will be carried off; 10:10-11 nations will put bonds on Ephraim; 12:14 Ephraim has provoked and the guilt of bloodshed remains and his contempt will be repaid.
  • Assyria and Egypt – 7:11,9:3, 11:5, 11:12-12:1 mention both; 5:13b Ephraim sent for help from the ‘great king’ this is a term Assyria liked to use. I think it is used here and other places in a mocking of Israel/Ephraim and Judah; 7:8 Ephraim goes to the nations and is compared to a ‘flat cake not turned over’ that means it is stuck and burnt; 8:9-10 Ephraim sold herself and is under the oppression of the great king; 10:6 Assyria carried off nations gods as an insult, some were put on trial and found guilty; 10:14 is a reference to an Assyrian king.  
  • Mercy and Godnews – 6:1-3 Let us return to the Lord, He will heal, bind up wounds, revive, restore, plus He will appear as the rising sun and the winter and spring rains; 11:8-9 God says, “How can I give you up.”, 11:11 has His children coming back from Assyria and Egypt; Chapter 14.

Ephraim as a prodigal son/tribe/nation: he starts well, goes downhill, and the Father is waiting for him to comeback. The second-born child of a favored wife, who is put ahead of his brother, has his story told by Hosea in a ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of Ephriam’s story.

Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah in the Shadow of Assyria

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Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah is the introductory post of this study. These men and at least four other prophets wrote under the shadow of the Assyrian winged lion. The kings of Assyria changed but their shadow stayed over the Levant for years. People think Babylon was terrible, it was, but Assyria regularly took Babylon to the ground, literally, several times. They deported Israel/Samaria and imported people who became known as the Samaritans and defeated all of Judah except Jerusalem. The destruction and deportation of Lachish was made into wall art in the royal palace in Ninevah. So, unless Babylon or Chaldeans are mentioned, destroying armies spreading over the land are Assyrians.

I listed these men by the kings listed in the first verse of their books. Jeroboam II king of Israel was a grandson of Jehu. However, there were six more kings of the Northern Kingdom before Assyria took them away: Zechariah (Jehu’s grandson, the last, 2 Kg15), Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah son of Remaliah (see Isaiah), and Hoshea (2 Kg 17).

  • Amos prophesied in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. His words were directed at both Israel and Judah. Israel in this book may cover both the northern and the southern kingdoms.
  • Hosea prophesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. His words were directed at both Israel and Judah, but Ephraim is used many times.
  • Isaiah prophesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. His focus was Judah/Jerusalem, but Israel (the north) is in this Book.
  • Micah prophesied in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

These prophets did not list kings as a timestamp in their books. So, I will give some things that may put them in the same general time period as our first four prophets.

  • Joel – He talks about Mount Zion and Jerusalem several times. 2:1 has a mighty army coming to the land, and locust. Amos also has a vision of locusts.
  • Obadiah – Verse 18 speaks of the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph being on fire. Esau was in this verse, and most prophets had bad things to say about them. Verse 20 says ‘the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sephard’; this is possibly Sardis, Turkey which is north of Ninevah. Captured Jews could have been sent here away from the captives of the North.
  • Jonah – 2 Kings 14:25 is his timestamp and the fact that he was called to Ninevah. The capitol at Ninevah was the third city built to be the royal city of Assyria and was constructed by Sennacherib. That puts it in our time period and helps to explain why he was pillaging all of these little countries.
  • Nahum talks about Ninevah in 2:1.

Shared visions, prophetic themes, and similar words are part of the reason for this study. The other reason is we ignore a great enemy of Israel that did many things to the people and the land. There are lessons for our present time before Babylon rules and then, is finally destroyed.

Daughter Egypt and “Her” – Assyria

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Questions. When studies collide, you get questions. Daughter, Egypt, and Assyria have generated studies and questions, and it seems they are doing it again. In 2026, I changed my Bible reading from going cover to cover to focusing on Psalms, Isaiah, and the New Testament. Quess what; I have been cover to cover because of looking up references. Some of the biggest question makers have been Isaiah reporting God’s thoughts on daughters, Egypt, and Assyria.

Isaiah was in the cohort of Prophets who lived and wrote during a time period when Assyria was bullying the Levant. Amos, Micah, Hosea, Nahum, and Jonah all witnessed their parts of the action in 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings from Jeroboam II and Uzziah/Azariah through the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the start of King Manasseh. These men came, spoke, and wrote God’s words and thoughts to Jacob’s children; yes, they are still speaking to us today. When you read Isaiah, it is good to remember what Assyria was doing to the nations.

  • Samaria had been defeated and carried off as slaves.
  • All the fortified cities of Judea had been captured and many people were deported.
  • The Philistines had called for Egypt to help them against Assyria. Egypt did not show up.
  • Jerusalem had an 11th hour event and faced destruction.
  • The nations around Israel (many of them enemies) were either defeated/crushed or ‘laid down and let Assyria walk on them’. (they made treaties and started paying them off) But literally, they laid on the ground, and the Assyrian king would walk on them.
  • Egypt could not help the ‘little guys’ because they were not strong enough to defeat Assyria.

Observations generate questions that lead to studies. An observation of Isaiah is that he refers to Daughter and Virgin Daughter Zion many times, he also writes about other nations as daughter. Does he refer to Daughter Egypt? No, that will be found in Jeremiah; who also talks about daughters many times. Daughter Zion and Daughter Zion #2 and Daughter Zion Observations cover a lot of ground and in those studies questions about our Father and daughters have come up; my study for this post started at least one more.

Daughter Egypt

Egypt and Assyria were not nice to Israel. But in God’s plan there is hope and redemption held out to them and the other nations that choose to serve and praise God. In God’s plan, as talked about by Isaiah, a Highway of Holiness will be made to link those nations to Jerusalem. Imagine how Isaiah must have felt when he got that word and wrote it down; then gave it to the people.

Jeremiah, with Baruch recording, also had much to say about Egypt. The main idea was simple, DO NOT GO TO EGYPT FOR HELP. In Jeremiah’s lifetime Babylon was the bully who beat Assyria and Egypt. Chapter 46 God addresses Egypt and other nations and here it reflects the fact He did not want Jerusalem thinking Egypt could help. 46:11 talks about Virgin Daughter Egypt going to Gilead (a part of Israel on the east bank of the Jordan) to get medicine for healing. The term ‘virgin’ here started another level of study. 46:19 speaks to what Babylon would do to Egypt and signals that they will be no help. Translators starting with the Geneva Bible arrange the thought here a little different. Jeremiah 46:19 Hebrew Text Analysis  46:24 continues with ‘they will be given to the people of the north’. On level one that would be Babylon, but on level two it talks to Greece and Rome. Don’t miss the      BIG takeaway, God calls Egypt daughter and virgin daughter; that may mess with some people’s theology.  My observation (not an answer) is that God has a bigger thought for that nation than we do.

Assyria

I am including Assyria to help me sort my thoughts on a very complicated topic. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel are about 100 years after Isaiah, but the political climate had not changed much. Those men lived under the shadow of Egypt and Assyria and then felt the iron rod of Babylon. One thing I did not find was God saying Daughter Assyria. The best I could find was a reference to ‘her’ in Ezekiel 32:22,23. Your favorite translation may add some confusion here as the core of those verses talk about Assyria as a woman; except the GNV and KJV started talking about Asshur (Assyria) as a ‘him’. Yes, that was a name of the main male Assyrian god.

This opened up the fact that God refers to cities, regions, and nations as women. Not all cities and nations are called daughter, but He refers to them in female terms. I do not think that is a mistake and actually is very important. Well, you now can see a future study.