unishing Samaria, Gaza, and other cities. His return in
Sargon's reign was evidently connected with the new rising in which he
took part. The throne of Hamath had been seized by an adventurer,
named Ilu-bi'di, a smith. The Philistines of Ashdod and the Arabians
being strongly pro-Egyptian in tendency, were willing sympathizers and
helpers against the hated Assyrians.

Sargon appeared in the west with a strong army before the allies had
matured their plans. He met the smith king of Hamath in battle at
Qarqar, and, having defeated him, had him skinned alive. Then he
marched southward. At Rapiki (Raphia) he routed an army of allies.
Shabi (?So), the Tartan (commander-in-chief) of Pi'ru[526] (Pharaoh),
King of Mutsri (an Arabian state confused, perhaps, with Misraim =
Egypt), escaped "like to a shepherd whose sheep have been taken". Piru
and other two southern kings, Samsi and Itamara, afterwards paid
tribute to Sargon. Hanno of Gaza was transported to Asshur.

In 715 B.C. Sargon, according to his records, appeared with his army
in Arabia, and received gifts in token of homage from Piru of Mutsri,
Samsi of Aribi, and Itamara of Saba.

Four years later a revolt broke out in Ashdod which was, it would
appear, directly due to the influence of Shabaka, the Ethiopian
Pharaoh, who had deposed Bocchoris of Sais. Another league was about
to be formed against Assyria. King Azuri of Ashdod had been deposed
because of his Egyptian sympathies by the Assyrian governor, and his
brother Akhimiti was placed on the throne. The citizens, however,
overthrew Akhimiti, and an adventurer from Cyprus was proclaimed king
(711 B.C).

It would appear that advances were made by the anti-Assyrians to Ahaz
of Judah. That monarch was placed in a difficult position. He knew
that if the allies succeeded in stamping out Assyrian authority in
Syria and Palestine they would certainly depose him, but if on the
other hand he joined them and Assyria triumphed, its emperor would
show him small mercy. As Babylon defied Sargon and received the active
support of Elam, and there were rumours of risings in the north, it
must have seemed to the western kings as if the Assyrian empire was
likely once again to go to pieces.

Fortunately for Ahaz he had a wise counsellor at this time in the
great statesman and prophet, the scholarly Isaiah. The Lord spake by
Isaiah saying, "Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put
off thy shoe from thy foot. And he di