Editing Tiglath-Pileser III (section)

==== Conquest of the Levant ====
[[File:Assyrian Relief Attack on Enemy Town from Kalhu (Nimrud) Central Palace reign of Tiglath-pileser III British Museum - 2.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|A relief from Tiglath-Pileser's palace in Nimrud, depicting the Assyrians besieging a town]]
[[File:Assyrian Relief depicting Battle with Camel Rider from Kalhu (Nimrud) Central Palace Tiglath pileser III 728 BCE British Museum AG.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Relief from Tiglath-Pileser's palace in Nimrud depicting Assyrian riders pursuing a camel rider]]

In the period from 743 to 732, Tiglath-Pileser led several campaigns in the Levant, which led to a great annexation of territory and the loss of independence of numerous ancient states in the region.{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} After defeating Sarduri, Tiglath-Pileser resolved to conquer Arpad itself, both because of the city's strategic value{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}} and in order to punish the city for providing Sarduri access to the Assyrian frontier.{{Sfn|Radner|2012}} After three campaigns over the course of three years and a lengthy siege, Arpad was captured in 740.{{Sfn|Radner|2012}}{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}} 

During the fighting, Arpad was assisted by both Urartian troops and by troops sent by other cities and minor states in Syria. After the city was captured, the Assyrian army did not simply plunder it and then leave, as they had dealt with cities in Syria in previous times. Instead, the lands controlled by Arpad were converted into two provinces and annexed into the Neo-Assyrian Empire.{{Sfn|Radner|2012}} After his victory at Arpad, Tiglath-Pileser received tribute from the [[Syro-Hittite states|Syro-Hittite]] kingdoms of [[Gurgum]] and [[Kummuh]], [[Carchemish]] and [[Quwê]], some of which had previously sent forces to aid Sarduri, as well as from the [[Phoenicia|Phoenician]] city of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] and the [[Arameans|Aramean]] kingdom of [[Aram-Damascus]].{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}}

The annexation of Arpad put rulers throughout the Levant on the alert.{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} In the period of Assyrian stagnation, many of the Levantine states had aspired to expand and become large kingdoms in their own right, something the Assyrians might have perceived as an anti-Assyrian activity.{{Sfn|Dubovský|2006|p=|pp=154–155}} In 738, Tiglath-Pileser continued his efforts in Syria, conquering some lands to the south of Arpad and establishing the three new provinces of Kullania, Ḫatarikka, and Ṣimirra. These lands had been under the rule of the Syro-Hittite kingdom of [[Hama]], which he accused of plotting against him.{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} 

The strategy employed by Tiglath-Pileser in his successful conquest of the Levant was carefully thought out and prepared. Instead of attacking the strongholds of the larger states, he first subdued smaller kingdoms through fast and wide-ranging attacks. The early conquests brought coastal and flat lands under his rule, which meant that Assyrian troops in the later campaigns could march through the region fast and efficiently.{{Sfn|Dubovský|2006|p=|pp=161–162}} During the campaign against Hama, Tiglath-Pileser conquered and annexed the Syro-Hittite kingdom of [[Pattin]].{{Sfn|Radner|2012}} Hama was spared full annexation, with the kingdom being allowed to remain somewhat independent as a vassal state. The victory inspired more states in the region to pay tribute to the Assyrians, including the Phoenician city of [[Byblos]], the [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|Kingdom of Israel]] and various states in eastern [[Anatolia]] and some [[Arabs|Arab]] tribes.{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} Israel and Damascus had sent aid to Hama during the conflict.{{Sfn|Radner|2012}}

The Anatolian realms who began paying tribute to Assyria, five kingdoms in total, probably did so not out of fear of Assyrian conquest but rather in the hope of Assyrian aid against the expansionist kingdom of [[Phrygia]], which threatened their existence. The Anatolians at times tried to play Assyria and Phrygia against each other, with disastrous consequences. In 730, Tiglath-Pileser attacked and removed king [[Wasusarma]] of [[Tabal (state)|Tabal]] from power after he stopped paying tribute, writing in his annals that Wasusarma "acted as if he were the equal of Assyria".{{Sfn|Fuchs|2017|p=254}}

Tiglath-Pileser marched on the Levant for the fifth time in 734, reaching as far south as the border of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]].{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}}{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} This campaign resulted in the conquest of [[Gaza City|Gaza]] and the submission of numerous states, effectively bringing the entire Levant under direct or indirect Assyrian rule;{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|pp=270–271}} Assyria and Egypt shared a border for the first time in history.{{Sfn|Elat|1978|p=20}} [[Ascalon|Asqaluna]], [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], [[Edom]], [[Moab]] and [[Ammon]], and the Mu’na Arab tribe, all began paying tribute to Tiglath-Pileser.{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}}{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} By extending his control throughout the Levant, Tiglath-Pileser formed a semi-circle of control around Israel and Aram-Damascus and cut them off from Egypt, which had at times offered support to the Levantine states. The Assyrian efforts resulted in Aram-Damascus becoming both geopolitically isolated and without a large enough food supply to feed its people.{{Sfn|Dubovský|2006|p=|pp=162–163}}

[[File:Capture of Damascus by Tiglath-Pileser III.png|thumb|upright=1.35|A 20th-century illustration of Tiglath-Pileser's 732 BC capture of [[Damascus]]]]
In 733, Tiglath-Pileser resolved to cement his conquest. In this year, he again campaigned against Aram-Damascus, still the strongest remaining native state in the region, which was supported by the Assyrian tributaries [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] and [[Ascalon|Asqaluna]], as well as Israel. In 732, [[Damascus]] fell and Tiglath-Pileser annexed the lands of Aram-Damascus.{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}}{{Sfn|Bagg|2017|p=270}} In the same conflict, Tiglath-Pileser also captured Tyre{{Sfn|Dubovský|2006|p=163}} and defeated Israel, which he divided in half, annexing the northern portion of the kingdom as the province [[Megiddo, Israel|Megiddo]] and subjugating the southern portion as a vassal kingdom.{{Sfn|Radner|2012}} The weakening and enormous reduction in size of Israel was seen by the Israelites as vindicating predictions of impending doom made by the prophet [[Amos (prophet)|Amos]] a few decades prior.{{Sfn|Frahm|2017|p=177}}

The massive western expansion of Assyria brought Tiglath-Pileser and his armies into direct contact with Arab tribes, several of whom began paying tribute. In 733, Tiglath-Pileser campaigned against the [[Qedarites]] to the south of Damascus, hoping to consolidate his control of southern Syria.{{Sfn|Frahm|2017b|p=|pp=300–301}} The surprise attack caught the Qedarite queen [[Šamši]] off-guard and the Qedarites were easily defeated.{{Sfn|Dubovský|2006|p=162}} Though Tiglath-Pileser was victorious, he realized that he would not be able to govern the territories ruled by the Qedarites effectively and thus allowed Šamši to remain in control of her domain, though under the supervision of an Assyrian official to guide her political actions.{{Sfn|Frahm|2017b|p=|pp=300–301}}