Syro-Ephraimitic war
Quick Summary
The Syro-Ephraimitic War, occurring in the 8th century BCE, was a conflict between the northern Israelite kingdom of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim) and the Aramean kingdom of Damascus (Syria) against the southern kingdom of Judah. This war was part of a larger struggle for regional dominance involving the expanding Neo-Assyrian Empire.1
The conflict began when the king of Israel and the king of Damascus sought to force Judah into an alliance against Assyria. When Judah's King Ahaz refused, the allied forces of Israel and Syria besieged Jerusalem. Ahaz, in turn, appealed to the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III for aid, offering tribute. Tiglath-pileser III responded by invading Syria and Israel, conquering Damascus and annexing much of Israel's territory, effectively ending the Syro-Ephraimitic alliance and leading to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel shortly thereafter.1
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