Sargon

Sahr´gon

II, king of Assyria 722–705 BCE. Sargon succeeded Shalmaneser V, apparently his brother. Though mentioned by name only in (Isa 20:1), Sargon II has great significance for biblical history, as he was the king of Assyria responsible for the conquest of Samaria and deportation of Israelites in 720 BCE. This action by Sargon effectively marked the end of Israel as the Northern Kingdom (2Kgs 17). By contrast, Judah, the Southern Kingdom, was spared, having remained loyal to Assyria throughout.