720s BC

Events and trends

728 BC—Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis, and receives the submission of the rulers of the Nile Delta. He founds the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt.
727 BC—Babylonia makes itself independent of Assyria, upon the death of Tiglath-Pileser III.
725 BC—Shalmaneser V starts a 3-year siege of Israel
725 BC—Sparta conquers the neighboring region of Messenia and takes over the land.
724 BC—The Assyrians start a four-year siege of Tyre.
724 BC—The diaulos footrace introduced at the Olympics.

722 BC—Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyrian king Sargon II.
721 BC—The Assyrians conquer the tribes of northern Israel.
721 BC—Sargon II starts to rule. He builds a new capital at Dur Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad).
720 BC—End of the Assyrian siege of Tyre.
c. 720 BC—Guardian figure (pictured, right), from the entrance to the throne room at palace of Sargon II is made. It is now kept in The Oriental Institute, Chicago.

729 BC—Tiglath-Pileser III officially crowned sovereign of Asia in Babylon.
729 BC—Hezekiah succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah (or 726 BC).
729 BC—Luli succeeds Mattan II as king of Tyre.
728 BC—Death of Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria (or 727 BC).
727 BC—Death of Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria (or 728 BC).
727 BC—Shalmaneser V becomes king of Assyria (dies 723 BC).
727 BC—Tefnakhte founds the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt.
726 BC—Hezekiah succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah (or 729 BC).
725 BC—Bakenranef (also known as Bocchoris) succeeds his father Tefnakhte as king of the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt.
724 BC—Ahaz, king of Judah (740 BC–726 BC) dies.
722 BC—Shalmaneser V, king of Assyria, dies.
722 BC—Sargon succeeds Shalmaneser V as king of Assyria.
721 BC—Shabaka succeeds his father Piye as king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt.
720 BC—Shabaka kills Bakenranef (Bocchoris), ending the Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt
720 BC—Death of King Ping of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
c. 720 BC—Birth of Guan Zhong, political adviser of Qi in eastern Ancient China.