2 Kings 17:6

Took Samaria. The Bible mentions Shalmaneser as beginning the siege, but does not name the king who took the city. The Babylonian Chronicle states that the city Shamarain (probably Samaria) fell during the reign of Shalmaneser, but his successor, Sargon II, made the claim, in documents written toward the close of his reign, that he himself captured the city of Samaria at the beginning of his reign. If this claim is true, then it could have been in the capacity of commanding general of the Assyrian armies and not as king that he effected the capture of the city. Historians differ, but there seems to be reasonable evidence for its fall in the latter part of Shalmaneser’s reign (see pp. 62, 85, 160).

Habor. The region of the river Khabur, the great tributary of the Euphrates about 130 mi. west of Nineveh. Both Habor and Halah are mentioned in 1 Chron. 5:26 as localities where Tiglath-pileser settled the captives taken by him. Gozan is identified with Guzanu, a site on the northern Khabur. This site, now called Tell Halaf, has been excavated by the Germans and has yielded many objects of great importance. Halah’s site is unknown.

Medes. Media lay to the northeast of Assyria. For some time before this Assyria had been engaged in conflicts with the Medes. The campaign of the year 737 B.C. was against Media.