time calling upon the king of Assyria for assist- ance. Shalmaneser attacked and killed the re- bellious brother of the Babylonian king, and naturally claimed an extension of frontier in return for his services.
Of far greater interest for biblical history is the campaign of Shalmaneser against the town of Hamath (Amattu or AmStu) on the Orontes, and its allies, in B.C. 854, the sixth year of his reign. Shalmaneser had scarcely conquered (B.C. 8bG) and imprisoned one of his most stubborn op- ponents, king AkhunI of Bit-Adini (see above), when a powerful army came out to meet him near Karkar (on the line of march from Aleppo to Hamath) :
Chariots. Uorsemen. Foot. Bir-idri of Damascus . . 1200 1200 20,000
Irkhulini of Hamath . . 700 700 10,1X10
Akhabbu of Sir'il . . . 2000 . . 10,000
Gui . . soft
Musri . . 1,000
Irkanat ... 10 . . 10,000
Matln-ba'ai of .\rvad .... . . 200
Usanat . . 200
Adunuba'alof Shiana . 80 .. 10,000
Ba'sa (son of Rukhub) of
AmmoQ .... • . . • 1,000
Camels. Glndibu the Arab . . . . . . 1,000
A mere glance at this table shows that the three most important princes of this league were Bir- idri (Benhadad) of Damascus, Irkhulinioi Hamath, and Akhabbu of Sir'il. Besides these, two Phcen. cities were prominent in supplying troops, Irkanat (probably ='Arka, 't'?!- Gn W-') and Shiana (or Siana, '.'? of Gn 10", which must be corrected to '?;?). Akhabbu of Sir'il is no other than king Ahab of Israel, who chose Jezreel (the modern Zer'tn) for his royal residence ; and who, in his last year (B.C. 864)', before he went to the war against the Syrians, In which he lost his life, had undertaken the obligation of leading an army against the Assyrians. Shalmaneser's victory over Damascus and Hamath does not seem to have been very permanent, since on two occasions, in B.C. 849 and 846, his annals give an account of the repulse of the Syrians and their twelve allies. On the first occasion (li.c. 840), in all probability, the Israelites were present in the battle under the leadership, not of Ahab, but of his son Joram. Joram, how- ever, soon after was attacked by Benhadad, and Samaria was in a state of siege. The Syrians withdrew only upon receiving information that a hostile force was marching against Damascus. The foes, however, were not Hi'.tites and Musrites (2 K 7«, i.e. from the land of Mu.sri in West Armenia), as the Syrians In their panic at first believed, but there Is the highest probability that they were the Assyrians who, in the year 84C, made a new expedition against Damascus. Finally, in the year 842 Shalmaneser made a fresh attack on Syria, this time against Blr-ldrl's (Benhadad's) successor Khaza-ilu (Hazael), whom he defeated, and ultimately besieged in Damascus. The sur- rounding country was deva.stated, and Shalmaneser took the opportunity of exacting tribute from Tyre. SIdon, and ' ./ahua of the house of Omri.' On the black obelisk already mentioned there are pictures of the ambaswadors of this same .lahua, bringing gifts, with the following in.scription : 'Tribute of .lahua, son of Khumrl ; silver, gold, a vessel of gold, a ladle of gold, golden drinking cups, golden buckets, tin (or lead), a staff for the king's hand, and spear-shafts {hudilkhati) I received.'
That this Jahua, in spite of the inaccuracy of the expression 'son (i.e. according to the Assyr. use of the word, 'of the dynasty') of Omri,' must be identified with ,7e7iM of Israel, is a fact which does
a dialcelio variant. Hv this we see, at the same time, that the Ileb. ex|iression L'r-Kasdlm had its origin long before the time of Shaiiu. II.
ASSYRIA
ASSYRIA
ISu
not admit of the least doubt. Although at first a good deal of difficulty was felt on account of the dati-s (Aliab nx. ^M.-Ichu 842), the identification of Ahab with Akhabbu of Sir'il, and of Jahua with .leliu, must now be regarded as settled. The chronology of the period of the kings of Israel, as is generally admitted, has been confu.sed by later redactors, a fact which is clearly proved from the summary of the length of the reigns • alone. Now that the dates 854 and 842 have been absolutely fixed, we have obtained data of the highest value for restoring the original numbers in the te.\t of the Bible (see below, under Tiglath-pileser III).
The great Shalmaueser II., who lost his life in a rebellion, was succeeded by his son f>amsi- Rainman IV. B.C. 824-812, who led expeditions against the Bab. kings liaUt-nkhi-idina and Mariluk-lialat-su-ikbi, and also again.st the land of Ivaldu. Advancing into Media ;is far as the so- called ' White Jlouiitain,' Ehvend, near Ecbatana (llaniadau), he sought to make the lands of Mannai and I'arsua, to the north and east of Lake Urmia, secure against the ambition of the Armenian king Ispuiiiis, son of Sardu'arri I., who was eager to conquer them.
His son JCamruaii-niran III. (B.C. 811-78.3) suc- ceeded in advancing still farther into the heart of .Media — right up to the Caspian Sea. He was Very youm; when he came to the throne. In all probaliility his mother, the Bab. princess Summu- riimnt (the Srmiramis of Greek legend), held the regency for him at first. In Armenia, his powerful rival .Menuas, who lived at 'J'uruspa (I'hosp) on the Lake of Van, caused him much trouble, wrest- ing from the Assyrians seveial powerful vassal states, e.g. Khani-rabbat (Melitene) and Dayami. It is to be regretted that the account of Ramman- nirari's campaigns against Syria and Palestine are so very scanty : ' From the upper part of the Euphrates to the land of Khatti (North Syria), Amurri (Coelesyria) to its farthest borders, Tyre, Sidon, the land of Omri (Israel), Udumu (Edom), and Palastu (I'hilistia), right up to the great western sea, I reduced to subjection and exacted tribute and imjiosts : I marched against the "land of a.s.ses " (Damascus), and shut up .VdriVi, king of the land of asses (mUt imiri .lit), in his chief town Damascus. Dread of renowned Assur struck him to the earth: he clasprd my feet and gave himself up. . . . His countless wealth and goods I seized in Damascus ; his residence in the midst of his royal palace.' The Assyr. list of officers for the year 804 mentions an expedition to the town of Ba'ali (=-ir^;'3 at the foot of Hermon ?), and for the year 797 one to Manzn'ati (^''^>'" ? ?), which is evidently a town of the Israelites. In one of these years Kamman- nirari's expedition against Damitscus, Edom, and Philistia nuist have taken place. It happened either at the end of the reign of the Isr. king Jehoaliaz, or at the commencement of the reign of his successor .Joash. According to the Bible, Benhadad .son of Ilazael was king of Damascus at the lime. If this bi! so, .Mari'a is only a title, like the Aramaic Maryii', ' Lord,' unless we see in Mari'a a brother of ilazael of whom nothing else is known.