Shalmaneser III

He is not mentioned by name in the Bible. The "Shalmaneser" of 2 Kings 17:3 and 18:9 is Shalmaneser V, who besieged Samaria; he is a different king.

Life

The son of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, he succeeded his father on the throne. His reign is commonly dated from 859 to 824 BC, though scholarly estimates vary by about a year. His capital was Kalhu on the Tigris River (modern Nimrud in Iraq), which many identify with the "Calah" of Genesis 10:11–12. Late in his reign his son Ashur-danin-apli led a revolt that plunged the kingdom into turmoil, and the throne passed to another son, Shamshi-Adad V.

Achievements and Points of Contact with the Bible

He spent most of his reign on military campaigns, repeatedly sending armies westward into Syria and Palestine.

• Battle of Qarqar: In 853 BC, at Qarqar on the Orontes River, he fought a coalition led by Adad-idri (Hadadezer), king of Damascus, the king of Hamath, and others. The Kurkh Stela records that among this coalition "Ahab the Israelite" brought 2,000 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. The stela was discovered in the nineteenth century at Kurkh in Turkey. Assyria claimed victory in this battle, but many scholars regard it as indecisive, pointing to the repeated campaigns that followed in the same region.
• Jehu's tribute: In 841 BC he marched against Hazael, king of Aram, and besieged Damascus but failed to take it. On this campaign he recorded receiving tribute from Jehu, king of Israel, as well as from Tyre, Sidon, and others. The Black Obelisk, excavated at Nimrud in 1846 by Austen Henry Layard, depicts a prostrate figure accompanied by the inscription "the tribute of Jehu, son of Omri." This relief is often described as virtually the only known ancient depiction of an Israelite king or his envoy.
• Hazael: Assyrian records describe Hazael as "the son of a nobody," that is, a man not of royal descent. Some scholars see this as consistent with the account in 2 Kings 8:7–15, in which Hazael kills Ben-hadad and becomes king.

Both inscriptions are housed in the British Museum.

Influence on the Korean Church

He has no direct connection with the Korean church. He is, however, frequently cited in biblical archaeology lectures, Bible study materials, and Christian apologetics books as evidence of the historicity of the accounts in Kings. The Black Obelisk is also reportedly featured as a highlight in church tour programs that visit the British Museum's Bible-related collections.

Assessment

Those who emphasize the historicity of the Bible stress that his inscriptions confirm, from outside the Bible, the existence of Ahab, Jehu, and Hazael.

Some scholars argue that the inscriptions must be read critically. Because Assyrian royal inscriptions are strongly propagandistic, intended to glorify the king's achievements, their figures and claims of victory cannot be taken at face value. Related points of discussion include the following:

• Some hold that the figure of 2,000 chariots for Ahab may be an exaggeration or a scribal error.
• Opinions differ as to whether the prostrate figure on the Black Obelisk is Jehu himself or his envoy.
• Although Jehu overthrew the Omride dynasty, he is called "son of Omri." This is generally explained by the Assyrian custom of referring to Israel as the "House of Omri."
• The Bible does not mention Ahab's participation at Qarqar or Jehu's tribute. Some interpret this as reflecting the Bible's selective recording of events from a perspective of faith.