In the century in which Judah was under Assyrian rule (from 732 to slightly after 630 BCE) it is possible to notice a considerable increase in the importance of the areas surrounding Jerusalem to the north, west and south, which became more central to the administration and economy of the kingdom. On the ridge south of Jerusalem between Armon Hanatziv and Ramat Raḥel, economic, administrative and political processes took place that did not coincide with what was happening within the city itself, and perhaps even, in many respects, were disconnected from what was happening in the capital of the kingdom.
It can be assumed that the processes in these areas around Jerusalem enabled the continuation of life in the capital of the kingdom under the rule of the Assyrian Empire: the continuation o...