Settlement, economy, and demography under Assyrian rule in the west: The territories of the former kingdom of Israel as a test case

The "Assyrian Century, " the period of Assyrian rule in the Levant, is usually regarded as an era of prosperity and economic progress. As far as the southern Levant is concerned, this reconstruction more or less reflects die reality on die southern edge of the region-in the areas of Philistia, Judah, and Edom. But what was the situation in the northern part of the county, in the territories of the former kingdom of Israel and adjacent territories, regions that had become Assyrian provinces? It is the aim of this paper to scrutinize the archaeological data from these regions in order to shed light on die settlement and demographic reality in those provinces, and furthermore to reassess Assyrian policy in the west. After summarizing, previous research; the article will present the available archaeological data, which will dien be compared with that from the southern part of the country in order to enable a reexamination of the Assyrian empire's policy in the west.