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.
1) As recently emphasized by Seitz, the usual setting of 2 Kgs 18,14-16 in 701 cannot be justified. This means that apparent contradictions between 2 Kgs 18,14-16 and 2 Kgs 18,1719,37 (clearly set in 701) could very well reflect confusion between two distinct Assyrian campaigns against Hezekiah.
2) Confusion with a pre-701 campaign is supported by the lesser nature of 2 Kgs 18,14-16s campaign, v. 13s dating to year 14 of Hezekiah (now very widely thought to precede 701), and much material in 2 Kgs 20, 2 Chr 32 and Isa 22.
3) The only datable episode that can plausibly be connected with an Assyrian campaign against Hezekiah prior to 701 involves Assyrian suppression in 712 of a plot organized by Ashdod, in which Judah was implicated. This combination appears to be substantiated by the Assyrian campaign against Hezekiah reported in the Azekah text, which appears datable to 712 (so e.g. Galil). Dating the suggested initial Assyrian campaign against Hezekiah to 712 also produces an extremely attractive concatenation involving Isa 2022, 2 Kgs 20 and events in Babylonia between 712 and 710 (Hayes and Irvine).
4) The presence of the Assyrian king at Lachish in 2 Kgs 18,14 is very consistent with his absence from Ashdod in Isa 20,1. While 2 Kgs 18,14 disagrees with the Eponym Chronicle entry for 712: "in the land" (= Assyria), Sargon IIs claim that he commanded the Ashdod campaign in person appears to be confirmed an overlooked and seemingly crucial point by the make-up of the invasion force, which consisted solely of the Assyrian royal guard. This limited mobilization presumably left the Ashdod campaign outside the scope of the Eponym Chronicle.
5) Dating year 14 of Hezekiah to 712 fits perfectly with evidence for subsequent Judaean chronology as well as Galils recent identification of the biblical fall of Samaria in year 6 of Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18,10) with its capture by Sargon II in 720 (so also apart from the synchronism with Hezekiah Laato; Naaman).
6) An important new point is that the preceding identification makes 2 Kgs 1718s implication that Shalmaneser was the conqueror of Samaria an error for Sargon II. This provides an excellent parallel for 2 Kgs 18,13s suggested reference to Sennacherib in error for Sargon II in connection with the campaign in 2 Kgs 18,14-16. This apparent pattern would seem to be related to Isa 14,20s hoped-for proscription of a tyrant who is generally identified as Sargon II.