and on the north between Assyria and the Gordiaean mountains was Halah or Chalach, the metropolis of Calachene:  and beyond these upon the Caspian sea was Gozan, called Gauzania by Ptolomy.  Thus did these new conquests extend every way from the province of Assyria to considerable distances, and make up the great body of that Monarchy:  so that well might the King of Assyria boast how his armies had destroyed all lands.  All these nations [353] had ’till now their several Gods, and each accounted his God the God of his own land, and the defender thereof, against the Gods of the neighbouring countries, and particularly against the Gods of Assyria; and therefore they were never ’till now united under the Assyrian Monarchy, especially since the King of Assyria doth not boast of their being conquered by the Assyrians oftner than once:  but these being small Kingdoms the King of Assyria easily overflowed them:  Know ye not, saith [354] Sennacherib to the Jews, what I and my fathers have done unto all the People of other lands?—­for no God of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers:  how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? He and his fathers therefore, Pul, Tiglath-pileser, and Shalmaneser, were great conquerors, and with a current of victories had newly overflowed all nations round about Assyria, and thereby set up this Monarchy.

Between the Reigns of Jeroboam II, and his son Zachariah, there was an interregnum of about ten or twelve years in the Kingdom of Israel:  and the prophet Hosea [355] in the time of that interregnum, or soon after, mentions the King of Assyria by the name of Jareb, and another conqueror by the name of Shalman; and perhaps Shalman might be the first part of the name of Shalmaneser, and Iareb, or Irib, for it may be read both ways, the last part of the name of his successor Sennacherib:  but whoever these Princes were, it appears not that they Reigned before Shalmaneser. Pul, or Belus, seems to be the first who carried on his conquests beyond the province of Assyria:  he conquered Calneh with its territories in the Reign of Jerboam, Amos i. 1. vi. 2. & Isa. x. 8, 9. and invaded Israel in the Reign of Menahem, 2 King. xv. 19. but stayed not in the land, being bought off by Menahem for a thousand talents of silver:  in his Reign therefore the Kingdom of Assyria was advanced on this side Tigris:  for he was a great warrior, and seems to have conquered Haran, and Carchemish, and Reseph, and Calneh, and Thelasar, and might found or enlarge the city of Babylon, and build the old palace.