The Period of Consolidation

Infighting among the northern Levantine states, with which the kingdom of Israel had been allied, heralded the end of their relative independence. While Assyria previously had been content to extract tribute from these kingdoms, the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727 bc) saw a more aggressive approach to territorial expansion, and a more direct application of Assyrian power to its conquered territories (Liverani, “Growth of the Assyrian Empire,” 92; Parpola, “Assyria’s Expansion,” 100). This policy would persist until the end of the empire in the mid-sixth century bc. The primary reason for this different approach was probably the failure of the existing system: too often, vassals failed to provide the required tribute, forcing the Assyrians to assert their power in order to preserve their trade interests (Bedford, Empire and Exploitation, 18–19). Furthermore, the existing system of governance within Assyria proper tended to draw power away from the king, undermining his authority and channeling power to other magistrates (Tappy, Israelite Samaria, 531).

In practice, the change in Assyrian policy meant a transition from indirect rule governed by a treaty to a more direct form of rule and a reorganization of administrative borders. This was expressed in two main ways—administratively and architecturally—and characterized by a severe social policy.