Editing Pekah (section)

== Reign ==
With the aid of a band of [[Gilead]]ites, from whose home territory he probably originally came, he slew Pekahiah and assumed the throne.<ref name=je>[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11994-pekah "Pekah", ''Jewish Encyclopedia]</ref>

In {{Circa}} 732 BC, Pekah allied with [[Rezin]], king of [[Aram Damascus|Aram]] and threatened [[Jerusalem]]. The prime reason for such a league was probably to protect their respective countries from another incursion of Tiglath-pileser III., who had compelled Menahem, in 738 B.C., to pay a large tribute. The two kings united their armies and attempted to coerce Ahaz of Judah into joining them. Pekah raided Judah and carried to Samaria a number of captives; but, rebuked by the prophet Oded and by some of the prominent men, the Israelite soldiers released them and sent them back. The united forces of Israel and Syria appeared before the walls of Jerusalem to demand its surrender. At this juncture [[Isaiah]] the prophet came to the support of Judah and her king. The allies had proposed to set upon the throne of Judah a son of Tabeel, probably one favorable to the alliance.<ref>Isaiah 7:6</ref> Ahaz, however, knowing that Tiglath-pileser was within call, appealed to him for help.<ref name=je/> Ahaz's "dread" of Rezin and Pekah, "Son of Remaliah" is recorded in the [[Immanuel]] prophecy in [[Isaiah 7:14]] where the birth of a son (possibly [[Hezekiah]]<ref>Whittaker H. A. ''Isaiah'' Biblia, Cannock</ref>) is a sign of the defeat of both kings by the King of Assyria before the child is old enough to eat curds and honey and distinguish right from wrong. After Ahaz paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser, the Assyrians sacked [[Damascus]] and annexed Aram.<ref name=Grabbe>Lester L. Grabbe, ''Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?'' (New York: T&T Clark, 2007): 134</ref> According to {{bibleverse|2|Kings|16:9|NIV}}, the population of Aram was deported and Rezin executed. According to {{bibleverse|2|Kings|15:29|NIV}}, Tiglath-Pileser also attacked Israel and "took [[List of minor biblical places#Ijon|Ijon]], [[Abel-beth-maachah|Abel Beth Maacah]], [[Janohah|Janoah]], [[Kedesh]] and [[Tel Hazor|Hazor]]. He took [[Gilead]] and [[Galilee]], including all the land of [[Tribe of Naphtali|Naphtali]], and deported the people to Assyria." Tiglath-Pileser also records this act in one of his inscriptions.<ref name=Pritchard>James B. Pritchard, ed., ''Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament'' (3rd ed.; Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1969) 283.</ref>

Soon afterwards, this Pekah was assassinated by [[Hoshea]] ben Elah (that is, Hoshea the son of Elah), a captain from Pekah's own army, who then took the throne. Tiglath-Pileser in an inscription mentions the slaying of Pekah by his fellow [[Israelite]]s.{{sfn|Pritchard p. 284}} The inference here is that the people, seeing the inevitable outcome of the contest with Assyria, put out of the way their fighting king, and then yielded submission to the conqueror, Tiglath-pileser III.<ref name=je/> He is supposed by some to have been the "shepherd" mentioned in {{bibleverse||Zechariah|11:16|NIV}}.