C. 702, Sennacherib made war on the tribes in
Zagros, forcing Ispabara, whom Sargon had established in power, to fly
from his country, and conquering many cities and districts, which he
attached to Assyria, and placed under the government of Assyrian
officers.

The most important of all the expeditions contained in Sennacherib's
records is that of his fourth year, B.C. 701, in which he attacked
Luliya king of Sidon, and made his first expedition against Hezekiah
king of Judah. Invading Syria with a great host, he made Phoenicia the
first object of his attack. There Luliya--who seems to be the Mullins of
Menander, though certainly not the Elulaeus of Ptolemy's Canon, had
evidently raised the standard of revolt, probably during the early years
of Sennacherib, when domestic troubles seem to have occupied his
attention. Luliya had, apparently, established his dominion over the
greater part of Phoenicia, being lord not only of Sidon, or, as it is
expressed in the inscription, of Sidon the greater and Sidon the less,
but also of Tyre, Ecdippa, Akko, Sarepta, and other cities. However, he
did not venture to await Sennacherib's attack, but, as soon as he found
the expedition was directed against himself, he took to flight, quitting
the continent and retiring to an island in the middle of the
sea--perhaps the island Tyre, or more probably Cyprus. Sennacherib did
not attempt any pursuit, but was content to receive the submission of
the various cities over which Luliya had ruled, and to establish in his
place, as tributary monarch, a prince named Tubal. He then received the
tributes of the other petty monarchs of these parts, among whom are
mentioned Abdilihat king of Avrad. Hurus-milki king of Byblus. Mitinti
king of Ashdod, Puduel king of Beth-Ammon, a king of Moab, a king of
Edom, and (according to some writers) a "Menahem king of Samaria." After
this Sennacherib marched southwards to Ascalon, where the king, Sidka,
resisted him, but was captured, together with his city, his wife, his
children, his brothers, and the other members of his family. Here again
a fresh prince was established in power, while the rebel monarch was
kept prisoner and transported into Assyria. Four towns dependent upon
Ascalon, viz., Razor, Joppa, Beneberak, and Beth Dagon, were soon
afterwards taken and plundered.

Sennacherib now pressed on against Egypt. The Philistine city of Ekron
had not only revolted from Assyria, expelling its king, Path, who wwa