JUDAH'S RELATION TO OTHER PEOPLES

1. Though Judah was so isolated from other peoples, yet the fate of the kingdom was largely determined by conflicts with the surrounding nations. These conflicts were most frequent with the peoples lying just at hand, Philistines, Edomites, Moabites — though more fateful conflicts were had with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. The natural strength of Judah made it all the more important that the great powers — Egypt, Assyria, Babylon — should subdue it. They would be led to this so that it could do no harm to them, and each would seek to support it as a barrier against the ambitious designs of the others. The one or the other of these policies actuated each of these leading powers at various times. Judah would have escaped many of the blows she received had it not been that she was a consider able power lying between two greater powers.

2. The Philistines, occupying the country to the west of Judah, entered this region from the north coast of Egypt. They had five principal cities, ruled over by five lords. The population was numerous, the land being exceedingly fertile, and their cities could be defended against a siege almost indefinitely. David had subdued them, and they paid tribute to Solomon, but after the division of Israel they gave Judah some trouble. Some of the more powerful kings of Judah made them pay tribute. Philistia was invaded, and more or less completely conquered by five different Assyrian kings. Lying in the path along which the Assyrian and Egyptian armies marched in their campaigns against each other, Philistia, far more than Judah, was exposed to the devastations of these irresistible powers. At some periods of such danger, alliances were made with Judah for common defense. This was true in the reign of Hezekiah when attacked by Sennacherib.

The Edomites were subdued by David and paid tribute to Solomon, but attempted afterward, at different times, to throw off the yoke of Judah, being in some instances successful. They revolted in the days of Jehoram; were defeated by Amaziah; showed their hostility in the days of Ahaz; rejoiced at the downfall of Jerusalem. Edor. is especially condemned by Jeremiah and Obadiah. The Moabites and Ammonites were both hostile to Judah, though probably they did not exert a very great influence over its destinies. They fell under the condemnation of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos.

After the exile of Judah, the Edomites encroached upon the southern border of the land of Judah, and their own country was occupied by the Nabateans. In the time of the Maccabees, the Edomites were subdued and compiled to submit to the rite of circumcision, and practically lost their identity as a separate people. Herod the Great was an Idumean or Edomite by descent.

4. Solomon had married a daughter of one of the Pharaohs and thus renewed a relation between God's people and the nation that had held them in bondage. This Pharaoh was probably one of the twenty-first dynasty. Shishak, who invaded Judah in the days of Rehoboam, was a Libyan by birth, the first king of the twenty-second dynasty of Egyptian kings. While this dynasty was ruling, Ethiopia succeeded in becoming independent of the Egyptian power, and at length attacked Egypt, conquered the twenty petty sovereigns were ruling throughout the land, permitted these to retain their dominions and established the twenty -third, an Ethiopian dynasty. One of the kings of this dynasty went against Asa at the head of one million men, but was defeated by him. The kings of this dynasty seem to have ruled Egypt from Ethiopia, doing little more than to keep it in subjection. After a temporary revolt against the Ethiopian power, the Egyptians were re-conquered by them and ruled by the Ethiopian kings of the twenty-fifth dynasty. It was to one of these - So of the Bible, Shabaka of the monuments that Hoshea sent for help against the Assyrians. Another king of the same dynasty came out to aid the nations that had formed a league against the Assyrians over whom Sennacherib was now ruling. Judah belonged to this league. Sennacherib at first conquered Tirhakah and compelled Hezekiah to pay a heavy tribute, but the league was renewed and Sennacherib came again against Judah. In one night one hundred and eighty - five thousand of the Assyrians perished, and Sennacherib returned home. The next Assyrian king, Esarhaddon , completely conquered Egypt, and his son, Assur-banipal, put an end to the Ethiopic. supremacy therein. The next Egyptian dynasty was a native one. Its second king, Necho, went against the Assyrian power, now almost passed away, was met and completely defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Josiah, of Judah, was slain as he attempted to check Necho's advance. The latter placed Jehoiakim on the throne of Judah. In his reign, and also in the reign of Zedekiah, attempts were made to release Judah from the Babylonian supremacy by seeking help from Egypt, but they were vain. After the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar invaded and conquered Egypt. It was again conquered by the Persian, Cambyses, son of Cyrus. This was after the return of the Jews from exile.

5. Syria had been allied to Judah against Israel in the days of Asa, but in the days of Ahaz it was joined with Israel against Judah. Rezin, king of Syria, invaded Judah and took a large number of captives. Once before this, in the days of Joash, while Hazael was on the throne of Syria, he carried away many captives and much plunder. It is supposed that Hazael attacked Israel and Judah at this time because Jehu, of Israel, had submitted to Shalmaneser, of Assyria, instead of remaining in league with Syria against their common enemy.

6. The Assyrians did not have so close relations with Judah as with Israel, yet Judah was invaded by them at different times. It is not certain that Sargon invaded Judah, but his successor Sennacherib did. While Manasseh was king of Judah, he was required to take gifts to Nineveh to Esarhaddon. During the reign of this Assyrian king and that of his son Assur-banipal, Judah was probably tributary to them. The pre-eminence of Assyria ceased with the reign of the last named king.

It is supposed by some that the statement that in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah Sennacherib came against Judah is incorrect, that it should read Sargon. It would be better to change the date. Sennacherib began to reign 735 B. C., and according to the ordinary chronology, Hezekiah began to reign 726, and his fourteenth year came before the death of Sargon. At the first attack of Sennacherib, Hezekiah submitted, but encouraged by promised help from Egypt, he determined upon independence.

It would be difficult to exaggerate the power and magnificence of the Assyrian armies. The warriors were bold and fierce, treating the conquered foe with great cruelty. The advance of one of Assyria's greater kings must have been terrifying to the countries threatened.

7. The power that at last determined the fate of Judah was Babylon. In its wider use this name applies to the country in the south of the Mesopotamian plain. There was conflict during much of the time between Assyria and Babylon. Assyria, however, had been the stronger power for centuries, and had held Babylon in subjection. At the accession of Sargon to the Assyrian throne, Merodach Baladan seized the throne of Babylon. A century was to pass, however, before Babylon should gain the ascendancy. Somewhere about this time an embassy came to Hezekiah from Babylon with letters and a present. It is probable that the real purpose was to make a treaty with Judah against Assyria. When Necho, of Egypt, in 608 B. C., made his campaign against Assyria as it neared its end, Nebuchadnezzar, son of the king of Babylon, met him and defeated him. Afterward Nebuchadnezzar as king made Judah tributary to Babylon, and when the local ruler of Judah, Zedekiah, sought to rebel against his authority, he finally removed the Jews from their land, and destroyed their city, 586 B. C.

SUMMARY.

1. Judah’s situation making it important to other powers; to be subdued or made an ally.

2. Philistia, its situation and power; hostility to Judah, and alliances against Assyria.

3. Edomites revolt; subdued by Amaziah; Moabites and Ammonites. End of Edom.

4. Egypt and Solomon; invasion by Shishak; invasion by king of Ethiopian dynasty, his defeat by Asa; league with Judah against Assyria; conquered by Esarhaddon and Assur-banipal; Necho goes against Assyria, slays Josiah, is defeated by Nebuchadnezzar.

5. Syria an ally of Asa; invaded Judah under Hazael and Rezin.

6. Assyrians; invasion of Judah under Hezekiah; Manasseh tributary. Error in date of invasion by Sennacherib. Great power and magnificence of armies of Assyria.

7. Babylonian embassy to Hezekiah. Nebuchadnezzar's conquests; fall of Jerusalem.