Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser IIIFor the band see: Black Obelisk (band) and his commander-in-chief headed every year, until the thirty-first year of reign. Some features might suggest that the work had been commissioned by the commander-in- The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is a black chief, Dayyan-Assur. limestone Neo-Assyrian bas-relief sculpture from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), in northern Iraq, commemorat- ing the deeds of King Shalmaneser III (reigned 858-824 BC). 2 Second register It is the most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered, and is historically significant because it is thought to dis- play the earliest ancient depiction of a biblical figure - Jehu King of Israel. The traditional identification of “Yaw” as Jehu has been questioned by some scholars, who proposed that the inscription refers to another king, Jehoram of Israel.[1][2] Its reference to 'Parsua' is also the first known reference to the Persians. Tribute offerings are shown being brought from iden- tifiable regions and peoples. It was erected as a pub- lic monument in 825 BC at a time of civil war. It was discovered by archaeologist Sir Austen Henry Layard in 1846 and is now in the British Museum. Replicas can be found at the Oriental Institute in Chicago, Illinois, at Har- Possibly Jehu, or Jehu’s ambassador, bows before Shalmaneser vard’s Semitic Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, III. at the ICOR Library in the Semitic Department at The The second register from the top is thought to include Catholic University of America, in Washington, Dis- the earliest surviving picture of a biblical figure. The trict of Columbia, in Salem, Oregon, at Corban Uni- name appears as m Ia-ú-a mar m Hu-um-ri-i. Rawlinson’s versity’s Prewitt/Allen Archaeological Museum, at the original translation in 1850 seminal work “On the In- Siegfried H. Horn Museum at Andrews University in scriptions of Assyria and Babylonia” stated: “The sec- Berrien Springs, MI and in the library of the Theological ond line of offerings are said to have been sent by Yahua, University of the Reformed Churches in Kampen, the son of Hubiri, a prince of whom there is no mention in Netherlands. the annals, and of whose native country, therefore, I am ignorant”[3][4] Over a year later, a connection with the bible was made by Reverend Edward Hincks, who wrote 1 Description in his diary on 21 August 1851: “Thought of an identifi- cation of one of the obelisk captives — with Jehu, king of This artifact features twenty reliefs, five on each side. Israel, and satisfying myself on the point wrote a letter to They depict five different subdued kings, bringing trib- the Athenaeum announcing it”.[5] Hincks’ letter was pub- ute and prostrating before the Assyrian king. From top lished by Athenaeum on the same day, entitled “Nimrud to bottom they are: (1) Sua of Gilzanu (in north-west Obelisk”.[6] Hincks’ identification is now the commonly Iran), (2) "Jehu of Bit Omri" (Jehu of the House of held position by biblical archaeologists. Omri), (3) an unnamed ruler of Musri (probably Egypt), The identification of “Yaw” as Jehu was questioned by (4) Marduk-apil-usur of Suhi (middle Euphrates, Syria contemporary scholars such as George Smith[7] as well and Iraq), and (5) Qalparunda of Patin (Antakya region as in more recent times by P. Kyle McCarter and Edwin of Turkey). Each scene occupies four panels around the R. Thiele,[1][2] based on the fact that Jehu was not an monument and is described by a cuneiform script above Omride, as well as transliteration and chronology issues. them. However, the name read as “Yaw, son of Omri (Bit- On the top and the bottom of the reliefs there is a Khumri”, see House of Omri), is generally accepted to long cuneiform inscription recording the annals of Shal- follow Hincks as the Biblical Jehu, king of Israel. maneser III. It lists the military campaigns which the king The stele describes how Jehu brought or sent his tribute in 1 Lion. No. 1251. page 14 [5] Studies on the Text and Versions of the Hebrew Bible in Honour of Robert Gordon.” [8] Millard. edited by Geoffrey Khan. 222 (Apr.” who is generally identified with “Jehu son of Nimshi.. pp. gold. and it ap- pears unlikely that Jehu. 1974). Thiele. pp.. No. a golden bowl. written in Assyrian cuneiform. who exterminated the family of Omri. Kyle McCarter. called “Jehu son of Omri.” the king of Israel. and that these notices are not enough to force us to alter all our Bible dates.. 1976). “There is another supposed Hebrew king in the annals of Shalmaneser. 5-7 [2] Edwin R. Article . 216 (Dec. Ox- ford. 1384-85 [7] Assyrian Eponym Canon. 19-23 [3] On the Inscriptions of Assyria and Babylonia. C.c. George Smith. 842. The country ruled by Jehu. tin. Athenaeum. golden tum- blers. The caption above the scene. son of Omri. should call himself son of that king. Without advancing any theory for the identification of the monarch mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions.[8] Jehu severed Israel’s alliances with Phoenicia and Judah. son of Omri: I re- ceived from him silver. p121 5 External links • British Museum page on the Black Obelisk • Photo. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Di- ana Lipton. is not stated in the inscriptions. b. p159 [6] “Nimrud Obelisk. and X.2 5 EXTERNAL LINKS or around 841 BC. I would urge that the identity of the Jehu of the Bible with the Jehu of the inscriptions is not proved. Article • Jehu Panel. page 190. king of Israel. T. golden buckets.” 3 See also • List of artifacts significant to the Bible • White Obelisk of Ashurnasirpal I 4 References [1] P. and became subject to Assyria. Article • Photo. Mitchell. Alan (1997) Discoveries from Bible Times. Bulletin of the American Schools of Ori- ental Research. Extracts VIII. 1875. 1850 [4] The Bible in the British Museum: Interpreting the Evi- dence. can be translated: “The tribute of Jehu. a staff for a king [and] spears. a golden vase with pointed bottom. Ham II.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Jehu-Obelisk-cropped. MarcoLittel. Luckas-bot. JohnThorne. Spikeefix. Stillnotelf. Neddyseagoon.3 Content license • Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Contributors: Steven G. CATDADDY456. Kafziel.wikimedia. Blue- bot. Sumerophile. Bgwhite. M. Island. Mmcannis. Ulric1313. Ewawer.wikipedia • File:British_Museum_from_NE_2.wikipedia.i. Ghirlandajo. Tritomex.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon. Shmuel haBalshan. El C.wikimedia.2 Images • File:Black-obelisk. Ketamino. Vik-Thor. Willis. 3 6 Text and image sources. KamikazeBot. Stevenj. Imeriki al-Shimoni. Johnson (Own work) Original artist: ? 6. MER-C. Andycjp. StAnselm. Jononmac46. AlleborgoBot. Alanwymore. Hilushit.E.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/British_Museum_from_NE_ 2. Šarukinu. Johnbod.svg Source: http://upload. Cydebot.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Jehu-Obelisk-cropped. Zorrobot. Joelholdsworth.0 . description page is/was here.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3. Jmarinusdejong. Original artist: Original uploader was Willis at en. Wiccan Quagga.svg Source: http://upload. and licenses 6.JPG Source: http://upload..org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Black-obelisk.jpg Source: http://upload.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ham • File:Commons-logo.svg License: Cc-by- sa-3. Kibi78704. SmackBot. Robbot. PiCo. SE7. Addbot.org/wiki/Black%20Obelisk%20of%20Shalmaneser%20III?oldid= 641742856 Contributors: Olivier. RedBot. Hhcaas. Narayan. Niceguyedc. Bsadowski1.wikimedia. Sweetmoose6.wikipedia. Darkojehu and Anonymous: 20 6. Gilliam.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.1 Text • Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III Source: http://en. Marcodeo.jpg License: Public domain Con- tributors: Originally from en. YurikBot.jpg Source: http://upload.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.wikimedia. Paradiso. Briancua. Wetman. Oncenawhile. Delirium.JPG License: CC-BY-SA-3.V. contributors.