Hoshea, in the Old Testament (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1–6), son of Elah and last king of Israel (c. 732–724 bc). He became king through a conspiracy in which his predecessor, Pekah, was killed. The Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III claimed that he made Hoshea king, and Hoshea paid an annual tribute to him. After Tiglath-pileser died (727), Hoshea revolted against the new Assyrian king, Shalmaneser, who then invaded Israel, took Hoshea prisoner, and besieged Samaria. When the city fell three years later, many of Israel’s citizens were deported to Assyria, and the Assyrians ruled in Israel.