Scriptural Testimony: Rezin in the Biblical Record
The figure of King Rezin of Damascus, a ruler of Aram (modern-day Syria), appears as a significant adversary in the biblical account during the reigns of Pekah, king of Israel (736–732 B.C.E.), and Ahaz, king of Judah (732–716 B.C.E.). The primary biblical narrative concerning Rezin is found in 2 Kings 16:5–9, where it is written:
“Then Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah came to wage war against Jerusalem.… So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, ‘I am your servant and son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel.’ … So the king of Assyria listened to him and marched up to Damascus and captured it. He deported its people to Kir and put Rezin to death.”
This historical episode, often referred to as the Syro-Ephraimite War, is also elaborated in Isaiah 7–8 and 2 Chronicles 28. It demonstrates the geopolitical turmoil in the Levant during the 8th century B.C.E., as regional powers were drawn into the expanding gravitational field of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, led at the time by Tiglath-pileser III (reigned 745–727 B.C.E.).
Assyrian relief depicting battle with camel riders, from Nimrud Central Palace, Tiglath Pileser III, 728 BCE
The biblical presentation of events is direct and consistent: Rezin allied with Pekah to coerce Judah into joining an anti-Assyrian coalition. King Ahaz of Judah, rather than yielding to the pressure, appealed to Assyria for intervention, offering both submission and tribute, which Tiglath-pileser accepted. As a result, Damascus was conquered, Rezin was executed, and the kingdom of Aram was dismantled.
This account is not isolated or unsubstantiated. It aligns fully with what is known from Assyrian royal inscriptions, which name Rezin (Raḫiānu) explicitly and describe Assyrian campaigns against both Damascus and Samaria.
Historical Setting: The Rise of Assyria and the Regional Turmoil
To understand the events surrounding Rezin’s demise, we must consider the broader political developments of the mid-8th century B.C.E. The Neo-Assyrian Empire, following a brief decline, experienced resurgence under Tiglath-pileser III. Upon seizing the throne in 745 B.C.E., he embarked on a series of military expansions, establishing Assyrian dominance across the Near East.
Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) (745-727 B.C.)
During this period, the kingdom of Aram-Damascus had been a powerful regional actor. Its involvement in conflicts with Israel dates back at least to the time of Ben-Hadad I and Hazael, predecessors of Rezin, as described in 1 Kings 20, 2 Kings 8–13. However, with Assyria on the rise, the geopolitical balance shifted dramatically.
King Menahem of Israel (745–737 B.C.E.), confronted by Tiglath-pileser’s invasion, chose to submit and pay tribute (2 Kings 15:19–20). This act of submission was both political and strategic. It bought temporary peace but signaled a realignment of power. Aram, likely seeing its influence diminish, would have viewed this submission unfavorably.
Subsequently, Rezin and Pekah attempted to compel Ahaz to join them. Their alliance, described in Isaiah 7:1–9, was not merely a localized military operation but a last-ditch effort to resist Assyrian hegemony. Ahaz’s refusal and decision to request Assyrian aid proved decisive. Tiglath-pileser’s response was swift and devastating: he launched campaigns that culminated in the destruction of Damascus and the end of Rezin’s reign.
Rezin in the Assyrian Inscriptions: Corroborating the Biblical Record
Rezin is not only known from the pages of Scripture but is also firmly attested in the Assyrian records, which are extensive and precise. Scholars have identified twelve inscriptions from the reign of Tiglath-pileser III in which Rezin (Raḫiānu) is explicitly named.
Pictured is Tiglath-pileser III with his foot on one of his defeated enemies. Above him is one of his many annals, which record his military campaigns. Several of these annals mention Rezin of Damascus.
These inscriptions come from a variety of archaeological contexts, including:
Stone slabs from palatial structures
Annalistic records on clay tablets
Stelae commemorating military victories
Wall inscriptions from temples and administrative buildings
One colossal slab discovered at Calah (Nimrud), Tiglath-pileser’s capital, documents the tribute received from vassal kings. It states:
“[I received] the payment of Kuštašpi of the land Kummuḫu, Raḫiānu (Rezin) of the land Damascus, Menahem of the city Samaria, Hiram of Tyre … ivory, multi-colored garments … horses, mules.” (Tadmor and Yamada, Royal Inscriptions, 77–78)
This record affirms that Rezin, like Menahem, submitted tribute at some point to Assyria—probably under pressure or as a temporary diplomatic maneuver. However, Rezin’s later defiance and coalition-building against Assyria would eventually seal his fate.
Another significant inscription, known as Summary Inscription 9, found in a temple at Calah, recounts Tiglath-pileser’s conquest of Aramean territories:
“I captured the land of Rezin of Damascus. I carried away its people as captives. I destroyed the city of Damascus. I killed Rezin.” (Cogan, Raging Torrent, 60–63)
Here, the sequence of events as preserved in Assyrian records is in full agreement with the biblical narrative:
Tiglath-pileser receives tribute early in his reign.
Rezin, later, joins a rebellion.
Assyria responds militarily.
Damascus is destroyed, Rezin is executed, and the city’s population is deported to Kir—precisely as 2 Kings 16:9 records.
This level of convergence between Scripture and archaeology is not common in ancient records, making it a significant case in favor of the historicity of the biblical account.
The Deportation to Kir: Scriptural Accuracy in Geographic Detail
2 Kings 16:9 records that Tiglath-pileser “deported its people to Kir.” This detail, while seemingly minor, has provoked scholarly interest. The identity of Kir is not precisely known, but it is mentioned in Amos 1:5 and 9:7 as a location in Mesopotamia from which the Arameans originally came.
“I will break the gate bar of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says Jehovah. (Amos 1:5)
This prophecy, uttered decades before Rezin’s downfall, finds exact fulfillment in the later events described in 2 Kings. The precision with which the biblical writers preserve geographic details—including this rare reference to Kir—reflects not only a high degree of historical awareness but direct correlation with actual Assyrian deportation practices.
Aram’s Demise and the Rise of Assyrian Control
After Damascus was destroyed and Rezin killed, the kingdom of Aram ceased to exist as an independent entity. It was absorbed into the Assyrian provincial system, and its capital became a base for Assyrian administrative and military operations. The vacuum left by Aram’s fall had significant repercussions:
Israel, under King Pekah, soon experienced defeat as Tiglath-pileser annexed the northern territories (2 Kings 15:29).
Judah, though temporarily spared, became a vassal state under Assyria, which would later contribute to spiritual and political compromise (as seen in Ahaz’s reforms, 2 Kings 16:10–18).
Prophetic voices, such as Isaiah, interpreted these events as both judgment and providential shaping of redemptive history.
Rezin’s defeat thus marks a turning point in the 8th-century B.C.E. Levant, signaling the transition from a regional power struggle to imperial domination by Assyria.
Final Observations: Textual and Archaeological Harmony
The convergence between the biblical record and the Assyrian inscriptions concerning King Rezin of Damascus is not a matter of coincidental mention. It is a convergence rooted in concrete historical synchronisms, corresponding political realities, and specific names and places verified through archaeology.
Rezin is mentioned in:
2 Kings 15–16
2 Chronicles 28
Isaiah 7–8
He is explicitly named in at least twelve Assyrian inscriptions, including multiple references to his tribute, rebellion, defeat, and death. His capital Damascus, his role in the Syro-Ephraimite War, and the deportation of his people to Kir—each element is independently corroborated through non-biblical sources, yet in perfect alignment with the biblical data.
This case represents one of the clearest examples of the historical reliability of the Old Testament as it pertains to the late monarchic period. It reaffirms that the biblical writers were not mythmakers or fictionalizers but careful recorders of actual events, rooted in the geopolitical realities of their time.
The death of Rezin and the fall of Aram serve not only as historical facts but as theological markers within the biblical narrative. They underscore Jehovah’s sovereignty over nations, His faithfulness to His covenant people, and the integrity of the Scriptures as a source of historical truth.
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
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