Shalmanessar III reigned as the King of Assyria from
859 to 824 B.C. He was the son of Assurnasirpal and
conducted 32 campaigns in the 35 years of his reign.
Many of the campaigns were directed against the
lands west of the Euphrates, particularly against the
powerful kingdom of Aram. Although he had some
success and even received considerable tribute from
the allies of Aram, including Israel, he failed to
conquer Aram itself. Two of his monuments, now in
the British Museum, are particularly noteworthy: the
Black Obelisk on which Jehu, king of Israel, is
depicted kissing Shalmanessar’s feet, and the
plaques of hammered bronze known as the Gates of
Balawat. This splendid brick features an inscription
written in cuneiform, an ancient language inscribed
using a series of wedge-shaped incisions. The text
can be translated as: “Shalmanessar, great king,
might king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of
Assurnasirpal, great king, mighty king, king of the
world, king of Assyria, descendant of Tukulti-Ninurta,
king of the world, king of Assyria, (brick for) the
erection of the ziggurat of the city of Kalhu.” This
stunning artifact records the greatness of a king who,
were it not for such splendid monuments, might
otherwise be forgotten. Thus this brick is one of the
last resounding echoes of a king’s great call.
- (PF.5520)
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