Sepharvaim

Sepharvaim was one of the cities from which the Assyrians brought people to resettle in Samaria after the deportation of the Israelites (2Ki. 17:24, 31; 18:34; 19:13; Isa. 36:19; 37:13).

Sepharvaim is mentioned in the Bible as one of the cities from which the Assyrians brought people to resettle in Samaria after the deportation of the Israelites (2Ki. 17:24, 31). The people of Sepharvaim, along with those from other cities, were brought in to replace the exiled Israelites and to populate the cities of Samaria. These foreign settlers brought with them their own gods and religious practices, including the worship of Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim (2Ki. 17:31). The exact location of Sepharvaim is uncertain, but it is mentioned alongside other cities conquered by the Assyrians, such as Hamath and Arpad (2Ki. 18:34; 19:13; Isa. 36:19; 37:13). Some scholars propose that Sepharvaim may be identified with the Babylonian city of Sippar, located on the east bank of the Euphrates River, while others suggest it could be a city in Syria or Cilicia. The resettlement of people from Sepharvaim and other cities in Samaria contributed to the mixed religious and cultural background of the Samaritans, who were later regarded with animosity by the Jews.

Taken by Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:24; 18:34; 19:13; Isa. 37:13). It was a double city, and received the common name Sepharvaim, i.e., “the two Sipparas,” or “the two booktowns.” The Sippara on the east bank of the Euphrates is now called Abu-Habba; that on the other bank was Accad, the old capital of Sargon I., where he established a great library. The recent discovery of cuneiform inscriptions at Tel el-Amarna in Egypt, consisting of official despatches to Pharaoh Amenophis IV. and his predecessor from their agents in Palestine, proves that in the century before the Exodus an active literary intercourse was carried on between these nations, and that the medium of the correspondence was the Babylonian language and script.