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In [[722 BC]] the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. Its people were moved en masse by the Assyrians into neighbouring territories, and people of other conquered nations moved into the land to fill the void. The Jews of the northern Kingdom assimilated into their new lands, and these tribes of Israel disappeared from history as a distinct people forever. The account is explained in [[2 Kings 17]] as a judgement against the people of the the northern Kingdom for repeated and continued unfaithfulness to God.

Some of the prophets active just prior this time of the fall and exile of northern Israel include [[Amos]], [[Hosea]] and [[Isaiah]]. Following the fall of the northern kingdom, the southern kingdom continued as an independent nation for a further 150 years. In the final years of the 8th century, [[Hezekiah]] ruled the kingdom as a king who trusted in [[God]]. The Assyrian Empire invaded Judah taking much of the land, and besieging [[Jerusaem]] in [[701 BC]], however it was not successful in taking the city. The kings following Hezekiah progressive lost sight of God, until [[Josiah]] came to the throne in [[640 BC]], and "rediscovered" the Books of the Law in the Temple. Josiah brought the kingdom back to God, but under subsequent kings the people degenerated again into polytheism. Around this time the Assyrian Empire began to lose its dominance of the Ancient Near East, and the Babylonians rose to power, finally destroying Assyria in [[609 BC]]. The Babylonians continued their conquests, invading and conquering Judah in the early 6th century BC, exiling her people, forcing them to leave their country. Some of the prophets active in this era before the conquest by the Babylonians include [[Nahum]], [[Habakkuk]], [[Zephaniah]] and [[Jeremiah]].