The Assyrians conquered the 10 tribes of the northernIsrealites. They did not scatter the tribes, they sent theiraristocracy of to Assyria to rule new peoples there. They importeda new aristocracy to rule the ten tribes who remained in place. Bythis technique, they had unsympathetic rulers who would control thepeople and not tolerate any uprisings.The Babylonians did the same thing later to the two southerntribes of Judah and Benjamin - sending off their aristocracy toBabylon to rule there, and importing a new aristocracy to rule thetribes.