its gold and silver, and, along with the treasure of his palace, purchased the support of Tiglath-pileser, who, entering the Syrian dominions, vanquished and slew their monarch, and fulfilled the predictions of the prophets Isaiah and Amos, by bringing that ancient kingdom to an end. Tiglath-pileser died in the midst of his career of victory, and was succeeded by Shalmaneser, who carried the war into the dominions of Hoshea king of Israel, whom he reduced to submission, imposing an annual tribute upon the kingdom. Hoshea, in attempting to shake off this yoke, again brought upon himself the vengeance of Shalmaneser, who once more subjected the country, and laid siege to Samaria, which capitulated after a defence of three years. Hoshea was put in chains and thrown into prison, and the inhabitants were led into captivity. Hezekiah, king of Judah, also set at defiance the power of Assyria by refusing tribute; but he chose the time for this revolt with greater judgment than Hoshea. The Assyrians were at that period engaged in an unsuccessful war with the Tyrians, during the prosecution of which Shalmaneser died, and was succeeded by Sennacherib, who invaded Judah; upon which Hezekiah, to purchase peace, sent him all the gold and silver with which the temple, as well as his own house, was decorated. The treaty, however, was no sooner concluded than it was trampled upon by Sennacherib, who sent an army to besiege Jerusalem. But the leaders, while haranguing the people who were upon the walls, blasphemed against God, for which, as the sacred historian informs us, they were signally punished, 185,000 of the Assyrians being cut off in one night by the angel of the Lord. This terrible destruction forced him back to his own dominions, where he exercised such tyranny over his subjects that he was assassinated by two of his own sons. Esarhaddon, his third son, ascended the throne, and extended the Assyrian dominions by the conquest of Babylon, Israel, and Syria, and the subjugation of Judah, Egypt and Ethiopia. After the death of Esarhaddon only a few princes appear to have ascended the throne of Assyria, and the kingdom at last was split, and annexed to those of Media and Babylon. Several tributary princes afterwards reigned in Nineveh; but no particular account of them is found in the annals of ancient nations. We hear no more of the kings of Assyria, but of those of Babylon. Cyaxares king of Media assisted Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the siege of Nineveh, which they took and destroyed n. c. 606. The Chaldean or Babylonish kingdom was transferred to the Medes after the reign of Nabonadius, son of Evilmerodach, and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He is styled Belshazzar in the sacred records, and was conquered by Cyrus n. c. 538.

a town of Persian Armenia, situated near the river Aras, the ancient Araxes, 20 miles south-east of Naccivan. It is a small but neat place, and each house is supplied with a well of water. The neighbouring country is fertile, and produces good wine. There is a root peculiar to this country, called ronas, used for dyeing red, great quantities of which are cultivated by the inhabitants and exported to India. Long. 46. 30. E. Lat. 39. N.