Sargon II (Assyria)

The Assyrian Empire conquered Samaria, capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, ending the northern kingdom. The conquest began under Shalmaneser V, but Sargon II later claimed credit for the capture and deportation of Israelites. This event is the origin of the “lost tribes” idea, because many northern Israelites were deported and foreign populations were resettled in the region. It marks the end of Israel as an independent northern kingdom.

Assyrian royal inscriptions say Sargon deported 27,290 people from Samaria and made the region an Assyrian province. The Babylonian Chronicle also supports the fall of Samaria under Assyrian rule. Archaeology at sites such as Tel Hadid helps show Assyrian deportation and resettlement patterns in the land.