Ijon was a strategic city in northern Naphtali that suffered repeated invasions during the divided kingdom era. Ben-hadad of Syria struck it during his alliance with Asa of Judah against Baasha of Israel. Decades later, Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria conquered it during his campaign against Pekah, deporting its inhabitants. The city's location on the plateau of Merj Iyun, between two tributaries of the upper Jordan, made it strategically valuable but vulnerable. Scholars identify it with Tell Dibbin, though the precise location remains debated. The repeated conquests illustrate northern Israel's exposure to foreign powers.