7 - Israel.Pdf - DocsLib

Tangible Evidence

• Established, centralized form of government • Frequent interaction with major world powers • Assyrians • No tombs, monuments, or archives related to specific Israelite kings Kings of Israel

Jeroboam, 930-910 BC Jehoram, 852-841 BC Pekahiah, 742-740 BC Nadab, 910-909 BC Jehu, 841-814 BC Pekah, 752-732 BC Baasha, 909-886 BC Jehoahaz, 814-798 BC Hoshea, 732-722 BC Eliah, 886-885 BC Jehoash, 798-782 BC Zimri, 885 BC Jeroboam II, 793-753 BC Omri, 885-874 BC Zechariah, 753 BC Ahab, 874-853 BC Shallum, 752 BC Ahaziah, 853-852 BC Menahem, 752-742 BC Kings of Israel

• Established idol worship (1 Kings 12:25-33) • Bethel in the south • Dan in the north • Tell el Qadi, 1970s-1980s • Ruins of the altar found • Dates to the 10th century BC • Destroyed and rebuilt several times, last used in the 7th century BC Jeroboam

Image: https://biblewalks.com/sites/DanHighPlace.html Jeroboam

Image: https://biblewalks.com/sites/DanHighPlace.html Omri

• Stopped a rebellion by Zimri who had usurped the throne from Elah (1 Kings 16:8-20) • Prevailed in a civil war against Tibni lasting four years (1 Kings 16:21-22) • Moved the capital of Israel from Tirzah to Samaria (1 Kings 16:23-24) • This was a new site Omri

Image: https://www.bible-history.com/maps/books.php Omri

Image: https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agsphoto/id/21169/ Omri

The Moabite Stone • Discovered in 1868 at Dibon • Dated to 840 BC • Housed at the Louvre • Made of black basalt stone • Relays the story of Moab’s battle for independence from Israel (cf. 2 Kings 3)

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1510497879 Omri

“I (am) Mesha, son of Chemosh – […], king of Moab, the Dibonite – my father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father, – (who) made this high place for Chemosh in Qarhoh […] because he saved me from all the kings and caused me to triumph over all my adversaries.”

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1510497879 Omri

“As for Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry at his land. And his son followed him and he said, ‘I will humble Moab.’” “(Now) Omri had occupied the land of Medeba, and (Israel) had dwelt there in his time and a half the time of his son, forty years…”

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1510497879 Ahab

Hazael • Anointed by Elijah over Syria (1 Kings 19:15-17) • Sent by Ben-Hadad to Elisha to determine prognosis of illness (2 Kings 8:7-13) • Illness isn’t fatal but the king would die • Hazael would do great evil against Israel as king of Syria • Killed Ben-Hadad and usurped the throne (2 Kings 8:14-15) Ahab

Basalt statue of Shalmanser III • Dates to 833 BC • Discovered in Assur, 1903 • Housed at Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Museum of the Ancient Orient section “Haldadezer (Ben-Hadad II) perished. Hazael, son of nobody, seized the throne.”

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalmaneser_III#/media/File:King_Shalmaneser_III_Istanbul_Museum.JPG, owner Bjørn Christian Tørrissen Ahab

Jezebel • 1 Kings 16:31 • 1964, Nahman Avigad • Dates to 872-851 BC • Housed in Israel Department of Antiquities • Name YZBL in Hebrew

Image: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026210336.htm; Credit: Israel Museum, Jerusalem Ahab

Jezebel • 1 Kings 16:31 • 1964, Nahman Avigad • Dates to 872-851 BC • Housed in Israel Department of Antiquities • Name YZBL in Hebrew • 2008, Marjo Korpel

Image: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/09/19/Seal-of-Jezebel-Identified.aspx Ahab

Battling the Assyrians • Shalmaneser Stela • J.E. Taylor, 1861, Kurkh • Dates to 853 BC • Housed at the British Museum • Records a battle between Shalmaneser III and an alliance of 12 kings at Qarqar

Image: © Trustees of the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/join_in/using_digital_images/using_digital_images.aspx?asset_id=150815001&objectId=367117&partId=1 Ahab

“I approached Karkara. I destroyed, tore down, and burned Karkara, his royal residence. He brought along to help him 1200 chariots, 1200 cavalrymen, 20,000 foot soldiers of Adad’idri (Ben-Hadad) of Damascus; 700 chariots, 700 cavalrymen, 10,000 foot soldiers of Irhuleni from Hamath; 2000 chariots, 10,000 foot soldiers of Ahab the Israelite; 500 soldiers from Que, 1000 soldiers from Musri…” Ahab

“I slew 14,000 of their soldiers… descending upon them like Adad when he makes a rainstorm pour down. I spread their corpses [everywhere], filling the entire plain with their widely scattered soldiers.” Ahab

Megiddo Stables • Stalled 450 horses • Storage space for 150 chariots • Dates to the days of Ahab • May have been modified, pre-existing stables from the reign of Solomon

Image:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/JPF-TelMegiddo.JPG Ahab

Samaria • Expanded upon Omri’s palace during a second building phase

Image: https://biblewalks.com/sites/samariacity.html#AhabPalace Ahab

Samaria • Expanded upon Omri’s palace during a second building phase • Ruins of the palace contained large amounts of ivory

Image: https://www.ancient.eu/image/7210/carved-ivory-from-samaria/ Ahab

Samaria • Expanded upon Omri’s palace during a second building phase • Ruins of the palace contained large amounts of ivory • Ostraca

Image: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Inscription-3-and-the-Barley-Ostracon-from-Samaria_fig6_330040071 Ahab

Jezreel • 1 Kings 21:1-16 • 1990s, David Ussishkin and John Woodhead

Image: https://biblewalks.com/sites/samariacity.html#AhabPalace Jehoram

The Moabite Stone • Discovered in 1868 • Dated to 840 BC • Housed at the Louvre • Made of black basalt stone • Relays the story of Moab’s battle for independence from Israel in the days of Jehoram (cf. 2 Kings 3)

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1510497879 Jehoram

Tel Dan Inscription • Discovered in during 1993 excavation at Tel Dan • Dates to 796-792 BC • Discovered in its secondary use • Housed at the Israel Museum • Tells the story of King Hazael of Syria assaulting Israel and Judah

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Dan_Stele, owner Oren Rozen Jehoram

Tel Dan Inscription “[I killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab] king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram ki]ng of Bayt-David. And [I set their towns into ruins] and turned their land into [destruction].”

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Dan_Stele, image owner Oren Rozen Jehu

Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser • Discovered in 1846, Sir Austen Henry Layard in Nimrud, Assyria • Dates to 825 BC? • 198 cm tall • Housed at the British Museum • Records Shalmaneser III received tribute from various kings

Image: © Trustees of the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/join_in/using_digital_images/using_digital_images.aspx?asset_id=290479001&objectId=367012&partId=1 Jehu

Image: By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42129532 Jehu

“The tribute of Ia-u-a (Jehu), son of Hu-um-ri (Omri); I received from him silver, gold, a golden saplu-bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king, (and) wooden puruhtu.”

Image: By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42129532 Jehoash

Tel al-Rima Stela • Discovered 1967, Tell al-Rima, Sinjar, Iraq • Dates to early 8th century BC • Housed at the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad • Records events dating to 796 BC completed by Adad-nirari III, king of Assyria

Image: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2012/05/22/Israelite-Kings-in-Assyrian-Inscriptions.aspx Jehoash

Tel al-Rima Stela • Adad-nirari III ed campaigns west and conquered Syria under Ben- Hadad III • “seized my feet, assuming the position of a slave” • “I received the tribute of Jehoash the Samarian, of the Tyrian [ruler] and of the Sidonian [ruler].” • 2 Kings 13:25 Image: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2012/05/22/Israelite-Kings-in-Assyrian-Inscriptions.aspx Menahem

“Pul of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control. And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land.” 2 Kings 15:19-20, NKJV Menahem

“So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.” 1 Chron 5:26, NKJV Menahem

Stele of Tiglath-Pileser III • Also known as Iran Stela • Unknown discovery date and location • Broken into three pieces and sold in antiquities markets in western Iran • Dates 742-727 BC • Describes events from 743 BC • Housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

Image: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/08/15/Evidence-for-Inerrancy-from-an-Unexpected-Source-OT-Chronology.aspx Menahem

Stele of Tiglath-Pileser III • “[As for Menahem I ov]erwhelmed him [like a snowstorm] and he fled like a bird alone, [and bowed to my feet(?)]. I returned him to his place [and imposed tribute upon him, to wit:] gold, silver, linen garmets with multicolored trimmings…”

Image: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/08/15/Evidence-for-Inerrancy-from-an-Unexpected-Source-OT-Chronology.aspx Pekah

“In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck and killed him; so he reigned in his place…” 2 Kings 15:29-30, NKJV Pekah

“Israel… all its inhabitants (and) their posesions I led to Assyria. They overthrew their king Pekah and I placed Hoshea as king over them. I received from them 10 talents of gold, 1000 talents of silver and their [tri]bute and brought them to Assyria.” Pekah

Image: © Trustees of the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/join_in/using_digital_images/using_digital_images.aspx?asset_id=32472001&objectId=369627&partId=1 Hoshea

Seal of Abdi • Unknown discovery • Sold in an auction in 1995 • “Belonging to Abdi servant of Hoshea”

Image: https://members.bib-arch.org/biblical-archaeology-review/21/6/3 Hoshea

“And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Now the king of Assyria went throughout allthe land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and place them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”” 2 Kings 17:4-6, NKJV Hoshea

“I besieged and conquered the town of Samaria, led away as prisoners 27,290 inhabitants of it… and settled therein people from countries which I myself had conquered.” Blamed this on the “man of Samaria” consorting with a hostile king against Assyria

Image: https://www.ancient.eu/image/2740/sargon-ii-wall-relief// Hoshea

“[The town I] I re[built] and better than (it was) before and [settled] therein people from countries which [I] myself [had con]quered. I placed an officer of mine as governor over them and imposed upon them tribute as (is customary) for Assyrian citizens.”

Image: https://www.ancient.eu/image/2740/sargon-ii-wall-relief//