Transmission of neo-Assyrian claims of empire to Judah in the late eighth century B.C.E.

That Isaiah of Jerusalem was aware of the language of Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions and of Neo-Assyrian imperial claims is well-recognized. While scholars have addressed these borrowings, they have not addressed the channels through which this knowledge would have reached Jerusalem in Isaiah's time. This article surveys the various media which were used to transmit the language of the Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions and imperial claims. It draws on studies of text, art history, and arche-ology in constructing a complete picture of the transmission, divided into three regions: The Assyrian heartland; the territory between Judah and Assyria; and the territory immediately surrounding Judah.