The king of Assyria was Sargon II. He ruled from 721 to 705 BC.
the God of the land … has sent lions: People in the ancient Near East believed a land's peace and success were tied to its god and religious practices.
One of the priests returned to Bethel, but his teachings on worshiping the Lord were likely influenced by Jeroboam I's religion and mixed with pagan practices.
The foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. They added the worship of Israel’s God to their own practices. Most of the false gods mentioned here are unknown. Jewish scribes may have changed their names.
Nergal was the Mesopotamian god of the underworld. Nibhaz and Tartak were probably Elamite gods.