Jeremy Goldberg, «Two Assyrian Campaigns against Hezehiah and Later Eight Century Biblical Chronology», Vol. 80 (1999) 360-390
The massive Assyrian invasion of Judah in 701 (reflected in 2 Kgs 18,13b; 18,1719,37) has apparently been confused with an earlier, limited invasion in Hezekiahs 14th year (reflected in 2 Kgs 18,13a.14-16; 2 Kgs 20; 2 Chr 32; Isa 22). Historically, this earlier campaign can best be dated to 712, when Sargon II apparently led the Assyrian royal guard on a Palestinian campaign. Chronologically, this dating fits perfectly with e.g. recent dating of the definitive fall of Samaria (2 Kgs 18,9: in Hezekiahs 6th year) to 720. 2 Kgs 18,9s parallel dating to Hosheas 9th year agrees with his apparent accession in 731 or 729. Dating Menahems death to 743 (as required, following biblical data, to avoid a triple overlap among Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz) agrees with Eponym Chronicle evidence for this dating of 2 Kgs 15,19-20s presumably already desperate fiasco, and is consistent with a plausibly composite 738 tribute-list naming Menahem. Combining these datings produces a workable later 8th century biblical chronology.
that "Shalmaneser" began a siege of Samaria which 2 Kgs 17,5-6 suggests was started and ended by one and the same king presumably Shalmaneser, who is mentioned in v. 353. However it is hardly possible (unless the above suggestion [or the above statement and presumption] is rejected) to avoid conflation of two Assyrian kings in 2 Kgs 17,5-6 (on any chronology): These verses suggest just as strongly that the king who started the siege of Samaria was responsible for the main round of Assyrian deportations from Samaria. But Sargon II is well-substantiated in this role, whereas such a role for Shalmaneser V is purely speculative and appears highly unlikely in view of the very important role played by Samaria in the resistance to Assyria in 72054. The likelihood that 2 Kgs 17,5-6 has conflated two distinct Assyrian kings is strongly reinforced by a comparison with 2 Kgs 18,9-11, which provides the only explicit reference to Shalmaneser after the early reign of Hoshea55 and does not imply that he completed the siege of Samaria. Very plausibly to the contrary, it states only that "they took it"56.
On the preceding basis, Shalmanesers invasion of Israel in year 4 of Hezekiah (so explicitly 2 Kgs 18,9) would be dated to 722, consistent with the death of Shalmaneser V around the end of this Julian year. The lengthy ensuing siege of Samaria (probably an oversimplification) would then be dated to 722-720, fitting very well with Assyrian difficulties during this period57.