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King Sargon II of Assyria was one of the first kings in humanity's historical records. He reigned from 722 BC to 705 BC. During his reign, he vastly extended Assyria's territory, conquering the Kingdom of Israel, Cyprus and - in 710 BC - the Kingdom of Babylon, thus reuniting Assyria and Babylonia for the first time after almost 1,000 years of separation (since the death of Hammurabi in 1750 BC).
In 713 BC, Sargon's troops crushed a Philistine uprising in the city of Ashdod. The event is recorded in the Bible: In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; (Isiaiah 20:1).
This basalt stele depicting Sargon II is located in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. It was found in 1845 in Kition, Cyprus. It shows the king worshiping the Gods, which are indicated by symbols on the upper rim.
The sides of the stele contain records in cuneiform inscription, describing Sargon's military victories in Medea, Urartu, Syria and Babylon.
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