Rezin

King Rezin of Aram (/rə.ˈziːn/ or /ˈriː.zɪn/[1]) or Rasin of Syria in DRB (Hebrew: רְצִין, Modern rěṣîn, Tiberian răṣîn; Akkadian: Ra-ḫi-a-nu / Ra-qi-a-nu; Aramaic: probably Raḍyan‎; Latin: Rasin) ruled from Damascus during the 8th century BC. During his reign, he was a tributary of King Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria.[2]

Rezin conspired with a number of Levantine kings (e.g., Hiram II of Tyre) to rebel against Tiglath-Pileser III. Rezin's reign ended around 732 BC, when Tiglath-Pileser III sacked Damascus and annexed Aram:[2]

In order to save his life, he (Raḫiānu) fled alone and entered the gate of his city [like] a mongoose. I [im]paled his foremost men alive while making (the people of) his land watch. For forty-five days I set up my camp [aro]und his city and confined him (there) like a bird in a cage. I cut down his plantations, [...] ..., (and) orchards, which were without number; I did not leave a single one (standing). I surrounded (and) captured [the city ...]ḫādara, the ancestral home of Raḫiānu (Rezin) of the land Damascus, [the pl]ace where he was born. I carried off 800 people, with their possessions, their oxen, (and) their sheep and goats. I carried off 750 captives from the cities Kuruṣṣâ (and) Samāya, (as well as) 550 captives from the city Metuna. Like tell(s) after the Deluge, I destroyed 591 cities of 16 districts of the land Damascus. (RINAP 1, Tiglath-Pileser III 20, l. 8’-17’)[3]

According to the Bible, the sack of Damascus was instigated by King Ahaz of Judah and ended in Rezin's execution (2 Kings 16:7-9). The execution of Rezin is neither confirmed nor disconfirmed by independent evidence.[4]

According to 2 Kings Rezin allied with Pekah, son of Remaliah, against Ahaz. The defeat of both kings is promised to Ahaz in the Immanuel prophecy Isaiah 7:14, linked to the birth of a child who will be an infant, possibly Ahaz' royal heir Hezekiah, when this takes place.[5]

See also

Preceded by
Ben-Hadad III		 King of Aram-Damascus
792 BC–732 BC 		Succeeded by
None

References

  1. ↑ LDS.org: "Book of Mormon Pronunciation Guide" (retrieved 2012-02-25), IPA-ified from «»
  2. 1 2 Lester L. Grabbe, Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? (New York: T&T Clark, 2007): p.134
  3. ↑ Hayim Tadmor and Shigeo Yamada, The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744-727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726-722 BC), Kings of Assyria. (The Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period 1; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2011).
  4. ↑ Grabbe, Ancient Israel, p.149
  5. ↑ Whittaker, H. A. Isaiah Biblia, Cannock
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