Editing Pekah (section)

=== Assyrian references ===
Looking at this from the Assyrian side, Stanley Rosenbaum maintains that the records of [[Tiglath-Pileser III]] demonstrate that the Assyrian king distinguished between two kingdoms in the north of Israel.<ref>Stanley Rosenbaum, ''Amos of Israel: A New Interpretation'' (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1990) 26.</ref> Tiglath-Pileser says he united the northern part (restored as Naphthali in the text) with Assyria, whereas for the southern part, he wrote, "Israel (''bit-Humria'') overthrew their king Pekah and I placed Hoshea as king over them."{{sfn|Pritchard, pp. 283–284}} Cook thinks that Menahem's tribute to Assyria in 2 Kings 15:19 also suggests the existence of a rival to Menahem's kingdom:
<blockquote>When Tiglath-Pileser III appeared in the west, Menahem took the opportunity to enlist his support by sending tribute of a thousand talents of silver, with the idea&mdash;as 2 Kings xv 19 puts it&mdash;'that he might help him to confirm his hold of the royal power'. This expression may simply indicate Menahem's sense of insecurity in the presence of Assyrian power; but it may equally well indicate the presence of a rival.{{sfn|Cook, p. 128}}</blockquote> 
Isaiah 7:1,2 speaks of a league between Pekah and King Rezin of Aram that was a threat to Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz and Menahem of Israel (Ephraim) followed a pro-Assyrian policy and were therefore aligned against the coalition of Pekah and the Arameans that sought to withstand Assyria, thus explaining why Menahem felt insecure and sought to buy the support of Assyria.