ia and the Median Highlands.[524] The various sections must
have soon lost touch with one another. They were not united like the
Jews (the people of Judah), who were transported to Babylonia a
century and a half later, by a common religious bond, for although a
few remained faithful to Abraham's God, the majority of the Israelites
worshipped either the Baal or the Queen of Heaven.

The Assyrian policy of transporting the rebellious inhabitants of one
part of their empire to another was intended to break their national
spirit and compel them to become good and faithful subjects amongst
the aliens, who must have disliked them. "The colonists," says
Professor Maspero, "exposed to the same hatred as the original
Assyrian conquerors, soon forgot to look upon the latter as the
oppressors of all, and, allowing their present grudge to efface the
memory of past injuries, did not hesitate to make common cause with
them. In time of peace the (Assyrian) governor did his best to protect
them against molestation on the part of the natives, and in return for
this they rallied round him whenever the latter threatened to get out
of hand, and helped him to stifle the revolt, or hold it in check
until the arrival of reinforcements. Thanks to their help, the empire
was consolidated and maintained without too many violent outbreaks in
regions far removed from the capital, and beyond the immediate reach
of the sovereign."[525]

While Sargon was absent in the west, a revolt broke out in Babylonia.
A Chaldaean king, Merodach Baladan III, had allied himself with the
Elamites, and occupied Babylon. A battle was fought at Dur-ilu and the
Elamites retreated. Although Sargon swept triumphantly through the
land, he had to leave his rival, the tyrannous Chaldaean, in
possession of the capital, and he reigned there for over eleven years.

Trouble was brewing in Syria. It was apparently fostered by an
Egyptian king--probably Bocchoris of Sais, the sole Pharaoh so far as
can be ascertained of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty, who had allied
himself with the local dynasts of Lower Egypt and apparently sought to
extend his sway into Asia, the Ethiopians being supreme in Upper
Egypt. An alliance had been formed to cast off the yoke of Assyria.
The city states involved Arpad, Simirra, Damascus, Samaria, and Gaza.
Hanno of Gaza had fled to Egypt after Tiglath-pileser came to the
relief of Judah and broke up the league of conspirators by capturing
Damascus, and p