In the meantime, all Israel and Samaria quaked at the fate that
awaited them. Pekah, who had been lending Rezin what help he could,
without entirely weakening himself, was ready and willing to give the
Assyrian battle. Tiglath-Pileser, however, had his hands full with
Damascus. He therefore, welcomed the suggestion of a certain Hoshea,
son of Elah of Samaria, who offered to follow the example of the
traitor Menahem.

Tiglath-Pileser assented gladly. He promised help and protection to
Hoshea, as he did to Ahaz, for voluntary submission to Assyrian rule.
So Hoshea conspired against Pekah in Samaria, slew him, proclaimed
himself king under the protection of Assyria. and sent tribute to
Tiglath-Pileser at Damascus. Cowardice and treachery thus once more
sealed the fate of the kingdom of Israel.

After the fall of Damascus, the victorious Assyrian ordered a great
_Durbar_ to celebrate his victory in that city. All the tributary
kings in Palestine were commanded to meet him and pay homage to him
there.

The splendor and display of the gathering was rivaled only by the
magnificence of the welcome the terrible monarch received on his
return to Asshur, his own capital.

Among the princes who hob-nobbed with their master at Damascus were
the cowardly Ahaz and the traitorous Hoshea. But both were happy in
that their countries escaped the awful havoc they witnessed in
Damascus and throughout Syria.