The Kings of Israel Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea

Pekahiah was an evil king that maintained the political hoax of the golden calves and served as a vassal king of Assyria. He was assassinated two years into his reign by Pekah, who favored an alliance with Syria.

King Ahaz of Judah was aligned with Assyria, and as a result, Syria and Israel attacked the southern kingdom, killing 120,000 men and returned to Samaria with 200,000 captives, but a prophet of God rebuked the Israeli soldiers for their action.

Assyria went on to conquer Syria and took large swaths of territory from Israel, reducing it to a rump state. An army captain named Hoshea assassinated Pekah to become the last king of Israel. He rebelled against Assyria and joined with Egypt.

Samaria was captured and Israel was destroyed as a nation. The warnings from the prophets finally came true and the pathway to God’s redemption was terminated when the northern kingdom was carried away into captivity to be mixed with other people groups.