Rezin

Rezin († 732 BC ; Aramaic Ra'yan , Phoenician RZIN / RSYN , Assyrian Rachianu / Raqianu , Hebrew רְצִין) was the last Aramaic king of Damascus . His name means: "Pleasing (God)".

Biblical representation

Together with Pekach , King of the Northern Empire , Rezin wanted to force Judah into an alliance against the Assyrians . After Rezin had conquered Eilat , Ahaz , contrary to the warning of the prophet Isaiah , sought help from Tiglat-Pileser III. In the course of this Syrian-Ephraimite War , Tiglat-Pileser not only succeeded in 732 BC. To conquer Damascus and kill Rezin, but also to take parts of the kingdom of Israel, from where he had numerous residents deported (cf. 2 Kings 15:37; 16: 5-9; Isa 7: 1-9).

Assyrian sources

In the inscriptions of Tiglat-Pileser III. the vassal countries are mentioned:

"I received tribute and gifts from Kuštašpi from the city of Kummuh / ^URU Kummub, Raqianu / Ra'yan from Ša-Imerišu, Menahem from ^KUR Samerinua / ^URU Samerinua, Tubaal from Tire"

- Tiglat-Pileser III.

history

By 734, Rezin was able to gather numerous allies and was by far the most influential ruler in all of southern Syria. Northern Transjordan as far as Ramot-Gilead was also under his control. As Tiglat-Pileser III. 737–735 waged war in the Zagros , Pekachja , the son of Menahem of Samaria , was murdered by a certain Pekach , who rose to rulership of Samaria. He may have come from Gilead , but that is where he got support. Presumably he was an ally or vassal of Rezin. In any case, Samaria now also joined Rezin's anti-Assyrian coalition.

The Tiglat-Pilesers 733/732 campaign was directed directly against Damascus, which led a coalition of western Syrian states, including the northern Reich of Israel with the capital Samaria. Damascus was besieged in 733 and the surrounding area was devastated. The city itself fell in 732, the residents were deported and Rezin killed. Bit Haza'ili became an Assyrian province.

Notes and individual references

1. ↑ Herbert Donner (see literature), p. 335
2. ↑ Layard 45b and Iran stele, approx. 739 BC Chr., Lines 3–6, 20–23 and annals for the 8th year of government Palû 738/737 BC Chr.
3. ↑ Literally translated: Donkey driving country as the name for Aram
4. ↑ Samaria

literature

• N. Na'aman: Rezin of Damascus and the Land of Gilead. In: ZDPV 111, 1995, 105-117.
• Herbert Donner : History of the people of Israel and its neighbors. Vol. 2, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, ISBN 3-5255-1680-0
• H. Tadmor: The Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III, King of Assyria. Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem 1994.