Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>]

Yes, but note Isaiah 39 (=2 Kings 20:12-19): though Hezekiah welcomed 
the envoys of Merodach-Baladan (named here), Isaiah saw the threat 
behind this act of diplomacy. Perhaps this, rather than the reign of 
Ahaz, is the setting for chapters 13-14.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Assyrian King of Babylon ?
Author:  <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com> at Internet
Date:    22/01/2000 21:18


Mr. Gathaus observed:

If  Isaiah 13-14 dates from the 8th century BCE, then the King of Babylon is 
likely to have
been Marduk-apal-iddina (Merodach-baladan) who defied Sargon V for a while 
until he was
beaten back to the marshlands at the head of the Gulf. Yet, we must ask what 
the Medes
have to do with things here. It's more likely that either the statement 
about the Medes is
a later addition from after 540 BCE, or the whole thing dates from after 540

The problem with Marduk-apal-iddina being the King of Babylon that Isaiah is 
railing about, is the coming up with a scenario to explain why Israel would 
feel threatened by the Babylonian King. Like Hezekiah, he was no friend of 
the Assyrians, and like Hezekiah, he rebelled unsuccessfully.  An Assyrian 
King of Babylon would make more sense as the recepient of Isaiah's wrath.

All the best,

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf  by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany