Tiglath-pileser III King of Assyria, Menahem King of Israel, Ahaz King of Judah, Peqah King of Israel and Rezin King of Aram<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Bryant G. Wood<\/b><\/p>\n
[In this continuing series, ABR director Bryant Wood profiles Biblical characters whose lives have been attested in archaeological finds. This article features five kings from four different nations during the eighth and seventh centuries BC.]<\/p>\n
Biblical Accuracy<\/b><\/p>\n
Tiglath-pileser III is the first of five Assyrian kings named in the Bible, the others being Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, Sennacherib and Esarhaddon. They ruled between 745 and 669 BC. These five kings are named in the correct order in the Bible and accurate information is given about each one. Moreover, the accuracy of the recording and transmission process of the Old Testament is also attested by the proper spelling of their names in the Hebrew manuscripts which we possess today.<\/p>\n
Sculptured relief of Tiglath-pileser III, empire-builder of Assyria. Discovered in the mid-1800s in the ruins of Tiglath-pileser\u2019s palace at Nimrud, ancient Calah, Iraq, and now in the British Museum in London. This monarch is mentioned nine times in the Hebrew Bible. He collected tributes from both Israel and Judah, and devastated the kingdom of Israel in 732 BC.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 22<\/p>\n
Sculptured relief inscribed with Tiglath-pileser III\u2019s annals for his 11th year (735 BC). The top register depicts the capture of Ashtaroth in northern Gilead in 732 BC, while in the lower register the king rides in triumph in his chariot. Between the two registers are seven lines of cuneiform text detailing events in the 11th year of Tiglath-pileser III\u2019s rule. From the southwest palace at Nimrud, now on display in the British Museum, London.<\/b><\/p>\n
A.R. Millard of the University of Liverpool in England has done a comparison of the spelling of the names of the Assyrian kings in the Old Testament and in contemporary Assyrian records. It must be remembered that the documents from which our Old Testament is translated date to the tenth century AD and therefore the portions dealing with the kings of Assyria have been copied and re-copied for a period of 1600-1700 years. The Assyrian records, on the other hand, are contemporary records dating to the time of the Assyrian kings. Millard (1976:14) concluded the following:<\/p>\n
This examination has shown how closely the Hebrew writings of Assyrian royal names conform to their contemporary appearances in Assyria and Babylonia in conformity with ancient orthographic custom…The distinctively Assyrian forms [in the Old Testament] may be assumed to derive from Hebrew sources set down in writing at or near the times of the various episodes, a conclusion reached on other grounds by many commentators who assign the passages in Kings containing them to some official annalistic compilation. Nevertheless, we may remark upon their remaining unchanged by any compiler or editor of Kings or Isaiah during the exile in Babylonia, or later, when the Assyrian forms had become obsolete…The remarkably accurate preservation of these Assyrian names…is striking testimony to the care of the ancient Semitic scribe faced with incomprehensible forms. That care is highlighted when the wide range of variation in the Greek manuscripts of the Septuagint and the various Hellenistic historians is set out for comparison.<\/p>\n
Tiglath-pileser III<\/b><\/p>\n
Tiglath-pileser III ruled Assyria for 18 years, from 745 to 727 BC, and is considered the founder of the Neo-Assyrian empire. He took a faltering nation and welded it into a conquering, imperialistic, state. The borders of the empire were expanded to Babylonia in the east and the shores of the Mediterranean in the west. As a result of this westward expansion, the Assyrian war machine seriously impacted the tiny nations of Israel and Judah.<\/p>\n
At one time, the Assyrian kings named in the Old Testament were merely lifeless individuals on the pages of Holy Writ. Now, thanks to the discoveries of archaeology, they have taken their place on the stage of history as real flesh-and-blood characters. Their palaces, as well as their written records and likenesses, have been wrested from the dusty ruin mounds of Iraq. These records have been invaluable for Biblical studies. Not only do they illuminate and validate Biblical events, but synchronisms with Assyrian chronology have allowed scholars to reconstruct a reliable chronology for the kings of Israel and Judah.<\/p>\n
The records of Tiglath-pileser are fragmentary and at times difficult to interpret. We can be especially thankful for the work of Israeli scholar Hayim Tadmor on these records. After a lifetime of study, Professor Tadmor has brought together the available data in The Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III King of Assyria,<\/i> published in 1994.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 23<\/p>\n
Tiglath-pileser III on parade. This detail from the lower register of the previous photos shows the king in his ornately adorned chariot with two attendants. One drives the chariot while the other holds a tasseled shade above Tiglath-pileser\u2019s head. The king has his hand out-stretched as if waving to a crowd (no doubt bowing down) as he passes by. Above the figures is text from the annals of the 11th year of his reign (735 BC).<\/b><\/p>\n
Tiglath-pileser is mentioned nine times in the Old Testament. Three of the nine references use \u201cPul,\u201d a shortened form of his name. He is first mentioned in 2 Kings 15:19\u201320 where we are told that Pul invaded Israel and Menahem, king of Israel, was forced to pay tribute in order to save Israel. That payment most likely took place during Tiglath-pileser\u2019s first campaign to the region in 740 BC, or perhaps earlier (Tadmor 1994:276). The Assyrian king is further mentioned with regard to his defeat of Damascus and his conquest of the Northern Kingdom and Transjordan in 732 BC, discussed below.<\/p>\n
Beginning with A.M. Layard\u2019s discoveries in Nimrud, ancient Calah, in Iraq in 1845 we have a considerable amount of information concerning this Biblical king. Layard discovered his palace, the so-called \u201ccentral palace,\u201d in the center of the tell. It had been almost completely destroyed. In the ruins were many reliefs sculptured on large limestone slabs which once lined the walls of the structure. The reliefs were covered with inscriptions recording events in Tiglath-pileser\u2019s reign. A short distance away, in a building in the southwest corner of the mound, were more reliefs from this monarch\u2019s time in office. The southwest palace was that of Esarhaddon who ruled a half a century after Tiglath-pileser. Badly destroyed by fire, the building was never completed. Esarhaddon was in the process of removing the sculptured slabs from the central palace so he could reuse the backs of them for his own reliefs in his new palace.<\/p>\n
The reliefs are largely taken up with scenes of battles and court ceremonies. There are many scenes depicting Tiglath-pileser himself\u2014photographs from antiquity, as it were, of a Biblical personage. Included among the inscriptions on the reliefs are records of Tiglath-pileser\u2019s western campaigns and his contacts with the nations of that region, including Israel and Judah. All told, six Biblical kings are named in the records of Tiglath-pileser III (Tiglath-pileser, Menahem, Ahaz, Peqah, Rezin and Hoshea).<\/p>\n
Menahem, King of Israel<\/b><\/p>\n
As with most of the kings of the Northern Kingdom, Menahem gained his position by assassinating the previous king, Shallum, who ruled for only one month (1 Kgs 15:14). From his palace in Samaria, Menahem ruled Israel for 10 years in the mid eighth century BC (1 Kgs 15:17). The only event recorded in Scripture from his reign is his tribute payment to Tiglath-pileser mentioned earlier. Menahem died a natural death and his son Peqahiah succeeded him (1 Kgs 15:22).<\/p>\n
Menahem is mentioned twice in the records of Tiglath-pileser. Both the Iran Stela (Tadmor 1994:107) and the annals for year 8 (Tadmor 1994:69) record that \u201cMenahem of Samaria\u201d paid tribute to the Assyrian king. This would have taken place in 738 BC and is an event not recorded in Scripture.<\/p>\n
This illustration comes from Figure 6 of the Iran Stela mentioning \u201cMenahem of Samaria.\u201d Broken into pieces sometime in the past, three fragments of the stela have been acquired on the antiquities market in western Iran. It depicts an approximately life-size figure of the king. Superimposed on the figure is a record of events through Tiglath-pileser\u2019s ninth year, 737 BC. Fragment 1, Column IIIA, lists \u201cMenahem of Samaria\u201d and \u201cRezin of Damascus,\u201d both Biblical kings, as having paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser in his eighth year, 738 BC. The reconstructed stela is now in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Figure 6 of The Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III, King of Assyria<\/i> by Hayim Tadmor (Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994).<\/b><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 24<\/p>\n
Ahaz, King of Judah<\/b><\/p>\n
Ahaz became king of Judah when he was 20 years old and he ruled for 16 years in the second half of the eighth century BC. Unfortunately, he followed the pagan practices of the surrounding nations (2 Kgs 16:3\u20134:2 Chr 28:2\u20134). The records of Tiglath-pileser tell us that Rezin, king of Aram, and Peqah, king of Israel, along with the king of Tyre, had formed an anti-Assyrian coalition in order to check the western advance of the Assyrians. Ahaz, on the other hand, was pro-Assyrian (2 Kgs 16:7). Rezin and Peqah attacked Judah in an effort to dislodge Ahaz and replace him with \u201cthe son of Tabeel,\u201d an otherwise unknown individual (Is 7:6). They were successful in taking the port city of Elath (2 Kgs 16:6), inflicting heavy casualties (2 Chr 28:5) and in taking prisoners and spoil (2 Chr 28:8). The prisoners and spoil were eventually returned (2 Chr 28:9\u201315).<\/p>\n
Isaiah reassured Ahaz that God would protect Judah (Is 7:3\u20139). In spite of this assurance, the king turned to Tiglath-pileser for help. He was so desperate that he \u201ctook the silver and gold found in the Temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace\u201d (2 Kgs 16:8; 2 Chr 28:21) and sent it to the Assyrian king. Tiglath-pileser responded by attacking both Aram and Israel. Rezin was put to death and Peqah was replaced (2 Kgs 16:9:15:29\u201330). According to the Assyrian records, this took place in 732 BC.<\/p>\n
Ahaz then was summoned to Damascus to appear before Tiglath-pileser (2 Kgs 16:10). On this visit, he was impressed by a pagan altar he saw. He ordered a duplicate to be made which he placed in the Jerusalem Temple. He made other changes to the Temple ritual as well and promoted idolatry during his rule (2 Kgs 16:10\u201318; 2 Chr 28:1\u20134; 22\u201325). Upon Ahaz\u2019s death, because of his sinful ways, he \u201cwas buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel\u201d (2 Chr 28:27).<\/p>\n
Summary inscription of Tiglath-pileser III telling of the first 17 years of his reign. It records tribute from \u201cJehoahaz of Judah,\u201d giving the full name of Ahaz of the Old Testament. Found at Nimrud, Iraq, in the mid 1800s, it is now on display in the British Museum, London.<\/b><\/p>\n
Ahaz is mentioned once in the surviving inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser. On a large clay tablet giving a summary of the first 17 years of his reign, the king states that he received tribute From \u201cJehoahaz of Judah\u201d (Tadmor 1994:171). Here Ahaz\u2019s full name, meaning \u201cYahweh has possessed,\u201d is used. This payment was probably made in 734 BC, whereas the one recorded in the Old Testament most likely dates to the following year (Tadmor 1994:277).<\/p>\n
In addition to the Assyrian record, we also have two local inscriptions with the name of Ahaz. The first is an orange carnelian seal with Egyptian-type motifs on the top half. The bottom half contains the Hebrew inscription \u201cBelonging to Ushna, servant of Ahaz\u201d(Deutsch 1998:56). Although not mentioned by name in the Bible (few officials were), Ushna was a high-ranking court minister in the administration of Ahaz. The seal was purchased in Jerusalem and is now part of the Yale Babylonian collection. More recently, a clay sealing (bulla) came to light. Now in a private collection in London, its origin is unknown. Originally it sealed a papyrus document. A lump of clay was placed over the strings which tied the document and the clay was then impressed with the stamp seal bearing the name of the official sending the document. The impression of the double string with which the document was tied, and even the texture of the papyrus, are still visible on the back of the bulla. In this case the official sending the document was none other than Ahaz king of Judah. On the left edge of the bulla is a fingerprint. Could it be that of Ahaz himself? Possibly, but more likely that of a scribe who was acting on Ahaz\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
Seal of Ahaz, King of Judah. A clay sealing, or bulla, impressed by the original seal reads, \u201cBelonging to Ahaz [son of] Yehotam, King of Judah.\u201d The inscription thus names two Biblical personages-Ahaz king of Judah, and his father Yehotam (spelled Jotham in our English translations), also a king of Judah. Presently in a private collection in London, the origin of the bulla is unknown.<\/b><\/p>\n
Peqah, King of Israel<\/b><\/p>\n
The reign of Meneham\u2019s son Peqahiah did not last long. He ruled for two years and then was assasinated \u201cin the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria\u201d by Peqah, a general in his army (1 Kgs 15:25). Peqah joined the anti-Assyrian alliance, which unsuccessfully attempted to halt the westward advance of Tiglath-pileser and his army.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 25<\/p>\n
Seal of Peqah. Purchased by Biblical scholar Charles Clarmont-Ganneau in Nablus, near Samaria, at the end of the 19th century, it now resides in the Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin. The name behind the figure, Peqah, is undoubtedly that of Peqah, son of Remaliah, before he became king of Israel.<\/b><\/p>\n
Although he ruled for 20 years in the second half of the eighth century BC, little is said of him in the Old Testament. A mere five verses are devoted to his reign in 2 Kings 15:25, 27\u201330. He is most noted for joining forces with Rezin king of Aram to attack Judah (2 Kgs 16:5; 2 Chr 28:6\u20138; Is 7:1). God, through Isaiah, predicted that Peqah and Rezin would fail in this and Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) would be shattered within 65 years (Is 7:7\u20138).<\/p>\n
Peqah paid dearly for his attack on Judah. Tiglath-pileser invaded Israel in 732 and devastated the country, save the capital Samaria, and took many people into captivity (2 Kgs 15:29; 1 Chr 5:26). Peqah himself was assassinated by Hoshea, the last king to rule Israel before the Assyrians destroyed Samaria in 722 BC. Clear archaeological evidence for the 732 campaign has been uncovered at a number of sites in northern Israel. In addition, Tiglath-pileser\u2019s records twice refer to this campaign and the demise of Peqah (Tadmor 1994:141, 203).<\/p>\n
Peqah\u2019s name also appears on a seal. On it a human figure wearing an Egyptian wig, a short tunic and a long mantle faces left. He holds a javelin in his upraised right hand. Engraved behind the figure are the letters PQH, vocalized Peqah. The area of origin (Nablus) and date of the script suggest that the Peqah of the seal is none other than Peqah, son of Remaliah, of the Old Testament. Peqah no doubt used the seal when he was an officer under Peqahiah. If this identification is correct, then this is the second known pictorial representation of a king of Israel or Judah (Bordreuil 1986). The other is the famous Black Obelisk depicting Jehu kneeling before the Assyrian king Shalmaneser.<\/p>\n
Rezin, King of Aram<\/b><\/p>\n
Aram, north of Israel, was formerly hostile towards Israel. As political winds change, so do friendships and alliances. Faced with the common enemy Assyria, Aram and Israel formed an alliance. Since Judah maintained a pro-Assyria stance, Aram and Israel turned on Judah. Because of this, Ahaz, king of Judah, was pressured to call upon Tiglath-pileser for aid. As a result, Tiglath-pileser marched against Damascus in 733 BC.<\/p>\n
Although the Assyrian texts mention Rezin six times, the record of the capture of Damascus and the demise of Resin has not survived. The Bible, however, fills in the gap. Both the Iran Stela and the annals for year 8 record that Rezin paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser in 738 BC (Tadmor 1994; 69, 107). The annals, and probably a summary inscription, state that Rezin was besieged by Tiglath-pileser in his 13th year, 733 BC (Tadmor 1994:79, 81, 187). A fragmentary inscription for his 14th year, 732 BC, mentions Rezin, but further details are lacking (Tadmor 1994:83). The original no doubt recorded the defeat of Damascus, the captivity of its inhabitants and the death of Rezin as recorded in 2 Kings 16:9.<\/p>\n
Summary<\/b><\/p>\n
When records are found that pertain to Biblical events, they invariably demonstrate how accurate the Bible is in its historic details. That point is brought home in a compelling way with the records of Tiglath-pileser III. The world\u2019s foremost authority on these records sums it up this way:<\/p>\n
…though the material at our disposal is too scanty and fragmentary to lend itself to a definitive historical and geographical reconstruction, it is evident that the Assyrian and biblical sources relating to Tiglath-pileser\u2019s intervention in the West in 733\u2013732 largely complement each other (Tadmor 1994:282).<\/p>\n
Bibliography<\/b><\/p>\n
Bordreuil, P.<\/b><\/p>\n
1986 A Note on the Seal of Peqah the Armor-Bearer, Future King of Israel. Biblical Archaeologist<\/i> 49:54\u201355.<\/p>\n
Deotseh, R.<\/b><\/p>\n
1998 First Impression: What We Learn from King Ahaz\u2019s Seal. Biblical Archaeology Review<\/i> 24.3:54\u201356, 62.<\/p>\n
Millard, A.R.<\/b><\/p>\n
1976 Assyrian Royal Names in Biblical Hebrew. Journal of Semitic Studies<\/i> 21:1\u201314.<\/p>\n
Tadmor, H.<\/b><\/p>\n
1994 The Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III King of Assyria.<\/i> Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:1 (Winter 2001) p. 26<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tiglath-pileser III King of Assyria, Menahem King of Israel, Ahaz King of Judah, Peqah King of Israel and Rezin King of Aram Bryant G. Wood [In this continuing series, ABR director Bryant Wood profiles Biblical characters whose lives have been attested in archaeological finds. This article features five kings from four different nations during the … Continue reading “BIBLE
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