. The training of the Chosen people. forty years afterthis, the hands of Assyria were not free, or she was 112 Old Testament History weakly ruled. When, however, Tiglath-pileser III—the Pul of 2 Ki. 15: 19—usurped the throne of As-syria, b. c. 745, what the statesmen of western Asiahad seen to be inevitable, in the long run, began to takeplace. The period of prosperity for the two kingdomsis the lull between the Assyrian defeat of Damascus,and the putting forth of Assyrian power in Palestineunder the generalship of Tiglath-pileser III. The natural resources and the advantages of thecommercial
. The training of the Chosen people. forty years afterthis, the hands of Assyria were not free, or she was 112 Old Testament History weakly ruled. When, however, Tiglath-pileser III—the Pul of 2 Ki. 15: 19—usurped the throne of As-syria, b. c. 745, what the statesmen of western Asiahad seen to be inevitable, in the long run, began to takeplace. The period of prosperity for the two kingdomsis the lull between the Assyrian defeat of Damascus,and the putting forth of Assyrian power in Palestineunder the generalship of Tiglath-pileser III. The natural resources and the advantages of thecommercial position of Palestine are impressivelyshown in the remarkable material prosperity which fol-lowed the withdrawal of the menace of Damascus andAssyria. The land yielded abundantly. Uzziah ofJudah revived the project of Solomon of opening anddefending the commercial routes to the trade ofArabia (2 Ki. 14:22), while the military capacity ofJeroboam II enlarged the borders of Israel to their oldlimits in the palmiest days of Ruins at Samaria. Our information about the situation in Israel ismuch more complete than about Judah. Similar gen-eral conditions, however, prevailed in both picture that Amos draws is most impressive. Herepresents Samaria as enjoying unparalleled of his graphic phrases remind one of Juvenalsdescriptions of Roman ostentation and sensuality. Andthe new wealth was so unequally distributed that inthe rise of prices the poor and the middle class found Chapter 31. The Peril of Prosperity 113 themselves in a desperate case, while the rich wallowedin costly indulgences. Sudden riches also producedtheir usual effect. The rich became hard-hearted andoppressive. They would sell a poor man into slaveryior debt for a pair of cheap sandals (Amos 2:6). Thereligious situation became peculiar. Baal worship,even, does not appear to be greatly in evidence. Therewas a revival of the worship of Jehovah as the peculiardeity of the Hebrews, but
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