Changes

== Accession ==

== Accession ==

Hoshea came to his throne by an act of murder<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=GeoCities>Authors unknown. "[http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/biography_Hoshea.html King Hoshea - Biography]." ''The Kings of Israel'', hosted at http://www.geocities.com/ Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref><ref name=ISBE>Caldecott, W. Shaw. "[http://cf.blueletterbible.org/isbe/isbe.cfm?id=4449 Hoshea]." ''International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia''. Edited by James Orr. Blue Letter Bible. 1913. 5 May 2003. 4 Jun 2007.</ref><ref name=AAG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.allaboutgod.com/truth-topics/hoshea.htm Hoshea]." AllAboutGod.com. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref><ref name=Konig>George Konig, [http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p108.htm Hoshea, King of Israel], AboutBibleProphecy.com, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref>--and the [[Assyria]]n king [[Tiglath-Pileser III]] boasts that he had a hand in the death of Hoshea's predecessor [[Pekah]] and the placement of Hoshea on the throne.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=BibleHx>John Argubright. "[http://www.biblehistory.net/Hoshea.pdf King Hoshea]." ''[http://www.biblehistory.net/Bible_Believers_Archaeology.pdf Bible Believer's Archaeology, Vol. 1: Historical Evidence That Proves the Bible].'' BibleHistory.net, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2007. Requires PDF reader.</ref> Tiglath-Pileser also says that Hoshea paid him an annual tribute<ref name=Britannica/> of ten [[talent]]s of [[gold]] and ten thousand talents of [[silver]].<ref name=BibleHx/> This is more than ten times the one-off tribute that King [[Menahem]] paid to King "Pul" (presumably [[Ashur-Dan III]]). This could be either a revisionist boast by Tiglath-Pileser, a record of a total amount of tribute paid to Tiglath-Pileser over a number of years, or a total valuation of the spoils that Tiglath-Pileser captured in his war against King Pekah.

Hoshea came to his throne by an act of murder<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=GeoCities>Authors unknown. "[http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/biography_Hoshea.html King Hoshea - Biography]." ''The Kings of Israel'', hosted at http://www.geocities.com/ Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref><ref name=ISBE>Caldecott, W. Shaw. "[http://cf.blueletterbible.org/isbe/isbe.cfm?id=4449 Hoshea]." ''International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia''. Edited by James Orr. Blue Letter Bible. 1913. 5 May 2003. 4 Jun 2007.</ref><ref name=AAG>Authors unknown. "[http://www.allaboutgod.com/truth-topics/hoshea.htm Hoshea]." AllAboutGod.com. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref><ref name=Konig>George Konig, [http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p108.htm Hoshea, King of Israel], AboutBibleProphecy.com, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref>—and the [[Assyria]]n king [[Tiglath-Pileser III]] boasts that he had a hand in the death of Hoshea's predecessor [[Pekah]] and the placement of Hoshea on the throne.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=BibleHx>John Argubright. "[http://www.biblehistory.net/Hoshea.pdf King Hoshea]." ''[http://www.biblehistory.net/Bible_Believers_Archaeology.pdf Bible Believer's Archaeology, Vol. 1: Historical Evidence That Proves the Bible].'' BibleHistory.net, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2007. Requires PDF reader.</ref> Tiglath-Pileser also says that Hoshea paid him an annual tribute<ref name=Britannica/> of ten [[talent]]s of [[gold]] and ten thousand talents of [[silver]].<ref name=BibleHx/> This is more than ten times the one-off tribute that King [[Menahem]] paid to King "Pul" (presumably [[Ashur-Dan III]]). This could be either a revisionist boast by Tiglath-Pileser, a record of a total amount of tribute paid to Tiglath-Pileser over a number of years, or a total valuation of the spoils that Tiglath-Pileser captured in his war against King Pekah.

[[James Ussher|Ussher]] states flatly that Hoshea deposed and killed Pekah in the fourth year of King [[Jehoahaz I|Ahaz]] of the [[Southern Kingdom]],<ref name=Ussher/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=15|verses=30|version=NASB}}</ref> but that his reign did not really begin until eight to nine years later, in the ''twelfth'' year of Ahaz.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=1|version=NASB}}</ref> These nine years constituted the [[Pekah#Death, Interregnum, and Succession|Second Interregnum]] of the Northern Kingdom.<ref name=WebBible>Authors unknown. "[http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/hoshea.html Entry for Hoshea]." WebBible Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref> [[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele]] denies that any such interregnum took place.<ref name=Wood/>

[[James Ussher|Ussher]] states flatly that Hoshea deposed and killed Pekah in the fourth year of King [[Jehoahaz I|Ahaz]] of the [[Southern Kingdom]],<ref name=Ussher/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=15|verses=30|version=NASB}}</ref> but that his reign did not really begin until eight to nine years later, in the ''twelfth'' year of Ahaz.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=1|version=NASB}}</ref> These nine years constituted the [[Pekah#Death, Interregnum, and Succession|Second Interregnum]] of the Northern Kingdom.<ref name=WebBible>Authors unknown. "[http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/hoshea.html Entry for Hoshea]." WebBible Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref> [[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele]] denies that any such interregnum took place.<ref name=Wood/>

== Domestic Policy and Relations with Judah ==

== Domestic Policy and Relations with Judah ==

The [[Bible]] says that Hoshea "did ''that which was'' evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him."<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=2|version=KJV}}</ref><ref name=GeoCities/> Modern commentators suggest that Hoshea's "not-quite-as-evil" policy was one of toleration, rather than wholehearted acceptance, of the worship of the true [[God]]. Hoshea did not forbid people to go to the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] to worship God, nor compel anyone to worship [[Jeroboam I]]'s golden calves nor to worship [[Baal]].<ref name=CCEL>Authors unknown. "[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/jamieson/jfb.x.xii.xvii.html II Kings, Chapter 17]." ''Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.'' Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Calvin College, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2007.</ref> He even allowed the emissaries of King [[Hezekiah]] to come into his kingdom, as they did shortly after Hezekiah's Passover, to destroy the [[high place]]s in various tribal provinces of his kingdom.<ref name=BCC>Authors unknown. "[http://www.bellviewcoc.com/Sermons/reigns.pdf The Reigns Of Hezekiah Of Judah and Hoshea Of Israel And Their Relationship To God’s Eternal Purpose]." Bellevue Church of Christ. Retrieved May 30, 2007. (Requires PDF reader)</ref> But Hoshea did not himself worship God, either.

The [[Bible]] says that Hoshea "did ''that which was'' evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him."<ref name=GeoCities/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=2|version=KJV}}</ref> Modern commentators suggest that Hoshea's "not-quite-as-evil" policy was one of toleration, rather than wholehearted acceptance, of the worship of the true [[God]]. Hoshea did not forbid people to go to the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] to worship God, nor compel anyone to worship [[Jeroboam I]]'s golden calves nor to worship [[Baal]].<ref name=CCEL>Authors unknown. "[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/jamieson/jfb.x.xii.xvii.html II Kings, Chapter 17]." ''Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.'' Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Calvin College, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2007.</ref> He even allowed the emissaries of King [[Hezekiah]] to come into his kingdom, as they did shortly after Hezekiah's Passover, to destroy the [[high place]]s in various tribal provinces of his kingdom.<ref name=BCC>Authors unknown. "[http://www.bellviewcoc.com/Sermons/reigns.pdf The Reigns Of Hezekiah Of Judah and Hoshea Of Israel And Their Relationship To God’s Eternal Purpose]." Bellevue Church of Christ. Retrieved May 30, 2007. (Requires PDF reader)</ref> But Hoshea did not himself worship God, either.

== Relations with Assyria ==

== Relations with Assyria ==

=== The Tribute ===

=== The Tribute ===

[[Tiglath-Pileser III]] died in 728 BC according to [[James Ussher|Ussher]]<ref name=Ussher/>, or anywhere from 727 to 725 BC according to multiple Assyriologists. The [[Bible]] says that Tiglath-Pileser's son and successor [[Shalmaneser V]] (or IV as some historians number him) attacked and defeated Hoshea and his army, and Hoshea was forced to pay an annual tribute--to Shalmaneser, not to Tiglath-Pileser.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=3|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Britannica2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Hoshea Entry for Hoshea]." ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', 1911. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref><ref name=Konig/>

[[Tiglath-Pileser III]] died in 728 BC according to [[James Ussher|Ussher]],<ref name=Ussher/> or anywhere from 727 to 725 BC according to multiple Assyriologists. The [[Bible]] says that Tiglath-Pileser's son and successor [[Shalmaneser V]] (or IV as some historians number him) attacked and defeated Hoshea and his army, and Hoshea was forced to pay an annual tribute—to Shalmaneser, not to Tiglath-Pileser.<ref name=AAG/><ref name=Konig/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=3|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=Britannica2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Hoshea Entry for Hoshea]." ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', 1911. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref>

=== Conspiracy against Assyria ===

=== Conspiracy against Assyria ===

In or shortly before the sixth year of his reign, Hoshea did a foolish thing: he tried to contract a secret military alliance with a [[Pharaoh]] of [[Egypt]] called [[So]] in the Bible, and abruptly suspended the annual tribute.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=CCEL/><ref name=Britannica/><ref name=ISBE/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Britannica2/> For that, Shalmaneser had Hoshea arrested and thrown into prison--where, presumably, he died.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=Britannica2/><ref name=ISBE/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Konig/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=18|verses=4|version=NASB}}</ref>

In or shortly before the sixth year of his reign, Hoshea did a foolish thing: he tried to contract a secret military alliance with a [[Pharaoh]] of [[Egypt]] called [[So]] in the Bible, and abruptly suspended the annual tribute.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=ISBE/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=WebBible/><ref name=CCEL/><ref name=Britannica2/> For that, Shalmaneser had Hoshea arrested and thrown into prison—where, presumably, he died.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=ISBE/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Konig/><ref name=Britannica2/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=18|verses=4|version=NASB}}</ref>

The identity of [[So]] is a matter of continuing scholarly controversy. The most likely candidate today, in light of the recent research by Egyptologist David Down, is [[Sheshonq I]], the [[Libya]]n.<ref name=Velikovsky>[[Immanual Velikovsky|Velikovsky, Immanuel]]. "[http://www.varchive.org/tac/so.htm Pharaon So]." ''[http://www.varchive.org/tac/index.htm The Assyrian Conquest]''. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref> (Ironically, Sheshonq I was originally identified as [[Shishak]], the Pharaoh who exacted tribute from [[Rehoboam]].)

The identity of [[So]] is a matter of continuing scholarly controversy. The most likely candidate today, in light of the recent research by Egyptologist David Down, is [[Sheshonq I]], the [[Libya]]n.<ref name=Velikovsky>[[Immanual Velikovsky|Velikovsky, Immanuel]]. "[http://www.varchive.org/tac/so.htm Pharaon So]." ''[http://www.varchive.org/tac/index.htm The Assyrian Conquest]''. Retrieved June 4, 2007.</ref> (Ironically, Sheshonq I was originally identified as [[Shishak]], the Pharaoh who exacted tribute from [[Rehoboam]].)

=== Fall of Samaria ===

=== Fall of Samaria ===

: ''Main Article: [[Fall of Samaria]]''

: ''Main Article: [[Fall of Samaria]]''

Shalmaneser, his patience exhausted, marched against Samaria in the seventh year of Hoshea's reign and captured it in his ninth year. The author of the Books of the Kings specifically synchronizes this period with the fourth through sixth years of Hezekiah's reign.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=CCEL/><ref name=Britannica2/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=5-6|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=18|verses=9-10|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=GeoCities/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Konig/>

Shalmaneser, his patience exhausted, marched against Samaria in the seventh year of Hoshea's reign and captured it in his ninth year. The author of the Books of the Kings specifically synchronizes this period with the fourth through sixth years of Hezekiah's reign.<ref name=GeoCities/><ref name=AAG/><ref name=Konig/><ref name=WebBible/><ref name=CCEL/><ref name=Britannica2/><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=17|verses=5-6|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=18|verses=9-10|version=NASB}}</ref>

== Commentaries ==

== Commentaries ==

{{reflist|2}}

{{reflist|2}}

== See Also ==

== See also ==

* [[Pekah]]

* [[Pekah]]

* [[Hezekiah]]

* [[Hezekiah]]