Syro - Ephraimite War The Syro - Ephraimite War took place in the 8th century BC , when Assyria was a great regional power . The smaller nations of Syria ( often called Aram ) and the northern Kingdom of Israel ( often called Ephraim because of the main tribe ) formed a coalition in defense against the oncoming threat . They had previously been tributary nations to Assyria , and they finally decided to break away . The southern kingdom of Israel , known as Judah , refused to join the coalition . Judah was ruled by King Ahaz . In 735 BC Syria , under Rezin , and Israel , under Pekah , attempted to depose Ahaz through an invasion . Judah was being defeated and , according to 2 Chronicles , lost 120 , 000 troops in just one day . Many significant officials were killed , including the king ' s son . Many others were taken away as slaves . ( Telling of the same war , 2 Kings 16 : 5 states that Rezin and Pekah besieged Jerusalem but failed to capture it . ) During the invasion , the Philistines and Edomites were taking advantage of the situation and raiding towns and villages within the Southern Kingdom . Ahaz called out to Tiglath - Pileser III of Assyria for help . The Assyrians defended Judah , conquering Israel , Syria , and the Philistines , but the post - war alliance only brought more trouble for the king of Judah . Ahaz had to pay tribute to Tiglath - Pileser III with treasures from the Temple in Jerusalem and the royal treasury . He also built idols of Assyrian gods in Judah to find favor with his new ally . The Immanuel child . The Immanuel child prophecy of the book of Isaiah is closely related to the Syro - Ephraimite War . Isaiah 7 - 12 is portrayed as happening concurrently to the Syro - Ephraimite war . The Hebrew prophet Isaiah tells the Judean King Ahaz that the invasion will be unsuccessful and tells him to ask God for a sign . Ahaz refuses , claiming he does not want to test God ( Deut 6 . 16 ) . Isaiah then announces that God himself will choose the sign : " A young woman shall conceive and bear a son , and shall call his name Immanuel ( meaning ' God is with us ' ) . He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good . For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good , the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted . " ( Isaiah 7 : 14 - 16 Revised Standard Version ) . The significance is that Assyria will not overtake Judah because God is with them . Ahaz ' s refusal to select the sign will lead Assyria directly to the gates of Judah . The next chapter details another prophecy about a child by the name of Maher - shalal - hash - baz ( meaning ' Quick to plunder , speedy to spoil ' ) . Isaiah then explains that the significance of this name is that before this child can speak , Assyria will plunder both Syria and Ephraim . Isaiah concludes these prophecies concerning his children ( Shear - Jashub ( meaning ' a remnant returns ' , Isaiah 7 . 3 ) , Immanuel ( meaning ' God is with us ' ) , and Maher - shalal - hash - baz ( meaning ' quick to plunder , speedy to spoil ' ) by saying , ' Here am I , and the children the LORD has given me . We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty , who dwells on Mount Zion . ' ( Isaiah 8 . 18 NIV ) Interestingly enough , the context continues into chapter 9 which also uses a birth of a child as its object .