דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ה׳

The Kingdom of Judah faces a devastating military collapse on two separate fronts, overwhelmed by the forces of Aram and Israel. A historical puzzle emerges when comparing this crushing defeat and mass captivity with other biblical records, which note that these same enemies besieged Jerusalem but failed to conquer it. The resolution lies in the geography of the attacks. While the capital city of Jerusalem successfully withstood the siege and remained unconquered, the armies of Aram and Israel ravaged the rest of the countryside. They caused massive destruction and heavy casualties throughout the surrounding cities of Judah [מלבי ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The exact nature of this military campaign is viewed from different perspectives. One approach suggests that the two invading kings initially launched separate, independent attacks against the Judean cities. Only after this initial wave of destruction did Aram and Israel unite for a combined siege on Jerusalem, a move that eventually drove King Ahaz to seek military intervention from the King of Assyria [מלבי ם]. Another perspective suggests a more immediate alliance, proposing that the King of Israel and the Arameans fought side by side against the cities of Judah from the very beginning. This represented a highly unusual military partnership that had not occurred for many years [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Ultimately, this severe blow to the people of Judah resulted in a massive loss of life and the capture of numerous prisoners, who were forcibly relocated to Damascus, the capital of Aram [ביאור שטיינזלץ].