d so, walking naked and barefoot.
And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and
barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon
Ethiopia; so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians
prisoners.... And they (the allies) shall be afraid and ashamed of
Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory."[527]

Isaiah warned Ahaz against joining the league, "in the year that
Tartan[528] came unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent
him)". The Tartan "fought against Ashdod and took it".[529] According
to Sargon's record the Pretender of Ashdod fled to Arabia, where he
was seized by an Arabian chief and delivered up to Assyria. The
pro-Egyptian party in Palestine went under a cloud for a period
thereafter.

Before Sargon could deal with Merodach Baladan of Babylon, he found it
necessary to pursue the arduous task of breaking up a powerful league
which had been formed against him in the north. The Syro-Cappadocian
Hittite states, including Tabal in Asia Minor and Carchemish in north
Syria, were combining for the last time against Assyria, supported by
Mita (Midas), king of the Muski-Phrygians, and Rusas, son of Sharduris
III, king of Urartu.

Urartu had recovered somewhat from the disasters which it had suffered
at the hands of Tiglath-pileser, and was winning back portions of its
lost territory on the north-east frontier of Assyria. A buffer state
had been formed in that area by Tiglath-pileser, who had assisted the
king of the Mannai to weld together the hill tribesmen between Lake
Van and Lake Urmia into an organized nation. Iranzu, its ruler,
remained faithful to Assyria and consequently became involved in war
with Rusas of Urartu, who either captured or won over several cities
of the Mannai. Iranzu was succeeded by his son Aza, and this king was
so pronounced a pro-Assyrian that his pro-Urartian subjects
assassinated him and set on the throne Bagdatti of Umildish.

Soon after Sargon began his operations in the north he captured
Bagdatti and had him skinned alive. The flag of revolt, however, was
kept flying by his brother, Ullusunu, but ere long this ambitious man
found it prudent to submit to Sargon on condition that he would retain
the throne as a faithful Assyrian vassal. His sudden change of policy
appears to have been due to the steady advance of the Median tribes
into the territory of the Mannai. Sargon conducted a vigorous and
successful campaign against t