The Assyrian expansion was a problem for the Israelites for well over a hundred years from about 850 B.C. to 722 B.C.. In 722 B.C. during the time of the divided kingdom, with Israel to the north and Judah to the south, Samaria which was the capitol of Israel in the north, fell to the Assyrians. They fell because of their sin and rebellion against God. In the south Judah was still following God for the most part. In fact at about 700 B.C. Hezekiah called upon the living God to deliver Jerusalem from the siege of the Assyrians and God sent what was apparently just one angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrian troops that were outside of Jerusalem. When Hezekiah’s son Manasseh took the thrown after his fathers death, he did much sin in the eyes of the Lord. He was captured and taken to Babylon which was in possession of the Assyrians at that time. He eventually acknowledged his sins and repented of them and God return him to his land. The Assyrian Empire continued for many more decades until after 610 B.C. when it went into serious decline. At that time the Babylonians were growing in strength and would fill the void left by a declining Assyrian power by capturing many of the same lands that the Assyrians had possessed.
