Do Ancient Non-Biblical Sources Parallel Biblical Texts of Events?

From the latest issue of "Let the Stones Speak" bi-monthly of the Armstrong Institute:

'Annals of Assyrian Conquest"

The following are excerpts from inscriptions relating to Assyrian kings Tiglath-Pileser iii, Shalmaneser v and Sargon ii, relaying their conquests of the northern kingdom of Israel and deportations of its inhabitants in waves in the late eighth century b.c.e.—culminating in the three-year siege of Samaria started by Shalmaneser v in 721 b.c.e. and concluded by Sargon ii in 718 b.c.e. Alongside each inscription excerpt is a parallel biblical text describing the events at hand. (For references, see James B. Pritchard’s Ancient Near Eastern Texts)

TIGLATH-PILESER III (r. 745–727 b.c.e.)

Tiglath-Pileser iii Annalistic Records: [T]he towns … of the Upper Sea, I brought under my rule. Six officers of mine I installed as governors over them. … [Lands] which are adjacent to Israel and the wide land of Naphtali, in its entire extent, I united with Assyria. Officers of mine I installed as governors upon them. … Israel … all its inhabitants and their possessions I led to Assyria. They overthrew their king Pekah and I placed Hoshea as king over them. I received from them 10 talents of gold, 1,000(?) talents of silver as their tribute and brought them to Assyria.

2 Kings 15:29-30: In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead ….

SHALMANESER V (r. 726–721 b.c.e.)

Babylonian Chronicle i: On the 25th day of the month Tebet, Shalmaneser [v] ascended the throne of Assyria and Akkad. He ruined Samaria.

2 Kings 18:9: And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

SARGON II (r. 721–705 b.c.e.)

Sargon ii Gate Inscription: Property of Sargon, king of Assyria, conqueror of Samaria and of the entire country of Israel, who despoiled Ashdod ….

Isaiah 20:1: In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it.

Sargon ii Annalistic Reports: At the beginning of my royal rule … the town of the Samarians I besieged, conquered …. I led away as prisoners 27,290 inhabitants of it …. The town I rebuilt better than it was before and settled therein people from countries which I myself had conquered. I placed an officer of mine as governor over them and imposed upon them tribute as is customary for Assyrian citizens. … I conquered and sacked the towns Shinuhtu and Samaria, and all Israel. … Upon a trust-inspiring oracle given by my lord Ashur, I crushed the tribes of Tamud, Ibadidi, Marsimanu and Haiapa, the Arabs who live far away in the desert …. I deported their survivors and settled them in Samaria.

2 Kings 17:5-6, 23-24: Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. … So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

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