Around 20 years after Israel’s final fall, the nation of Judah, following repeated cycles of idolatry and reformation, was invaded by Assyria as well, reducing Judah “to a shadow of its former self, at least two thirds of the population perishing or being carried away captive” (“Judah,” The Illustrated Bible Dictionary , 1980, Vol. 2, p. 825). Thus, a great number of Jews, Benjamites and Levites were also taken away to join the Israelite captivity.
