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Biblical Archaeology

Assyrian History

(1) Background. Shalmaneser III came to the throne of Assyria in 859 BC. To understand the time period we need to go back several hundred years. During the time of Abraham, Babylonia was the dominant power in the East. The great Hammurabi ruled Babylon around 1700 BC. A few hundred years later, around the time of the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt, Ass...

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Chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah

Assyrian annals mention contacts with some nine Hebrew kings: Omri, Ahab, Jehu, Menahem, Pekah, Uzziah, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. During the reign of Hoshea, king of Israel, Shalmaneser V, king of Assyria, invaded Israel (2 Kings 17:3,5) the kingdom that remained. His successor Sargon II finally took Samaria in 722 BC, carrying away 27,290 ...

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Map of Ancient Assyria

Geography of Ancient Assyria. Ancient Assyria was generally the northern half of Mesopotamia, while the southern half was generally referred to as Babylonia. The word "Mesopotamia" comes to us from ancient Greece and means the land "between the rivers", referring to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The region around ancient Assyria was filled with ...

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Map of Modern Iraq

Geography of Modern Iraq LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: Iraq is located in the Middle East. It is bound by Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the northwest, Jordan to the west, Saudi Arabia to the southwest and south as well as Kuwait and the Persian Gulf to the southeast. The country can be divided into four main topographical regions. ...

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The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser

The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, The Discovery of the Black Obelisk, Archaeology in the Area of Ancient Assyria, Paul Emile Botta , Austen Henry Layard, The Jehu Relief, World Empires and Assyria, Assyrian & Bible Timeline, Shalmaneser III and Assyria, Ancient Calah, King Jehu and Israel, Text on the Black Obelisk, Biblica...

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Paul Emil Botta on Sargon's Ruins

"What can all this mean? Who built this structure? In what century did he live? To what nation did he belong? Are these walls telling me their tales of joy and woe? Is this beautiful cuneiformed character a language? I know not. I can read their glory and their victories in their figures, but their story, their age, their blood, is to me a mystery....

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Examining the Jehu Panel

1. It reveals how King Jehu paid tribute to Shalmaneser III. 2. King Jehu grovels in the dust before the Assyrian king. 3. Shalmaneser is making a libation to his god. 4. Behind Shalmaneser III stand two officers, one holds a parasol (a royal umbrella) and the other a club. 5. Opposite the monarch two grooms-in-waiting have taken up their stanc...

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Isaiah's Prophecy About God Punishing the King of Assyria

"When the Lord has finished all His work...he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride." Isaiah 10:12...

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King Jehu and the Northern Kingdom of Israel

The Bible mentions that king Jehu was an evil king, he did not seek God with all his heart, he was an idolater, he made Israel to sin. He reigned for 28 years. King Jehu was an officer in Ahab’s bodyguard. It was Elisha who anointed him to be king and to cut off Baal worship in Israel, and to cut off the house of Ahab. Jehu was the man for the ta...

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What is The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser?

The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is a four-sided monument or pillar made of black limestone. It stands about 6 1/2 feet tall. It was discovered in 1846 by A.H. Layard in the Central Palace of Shalmaneser III at the ruins of Nimrud, known in the Bible as Calah, and known in ancient Assyrian inscriptions as Kalhu. It is now on display in the Brit...

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