Close Up of Jehu on
the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Could this stone-carved
relief be Jehu, the same king who is mentioned in the Bible?
Close up of Jehu doing homage to Shalmaneser
III. This is the same Jehu as the Jehu mentioned in Scripture.
This close up of king Jehu doing homage
to Shalmaneser III on The Black Obelisk is one of the most important
discoveries in Biblical Archaeology. The panel depicts the
Hebrew king Jehu, or possibly one of his servants, bringing gifts to
Shalmaneser III and kneeling at his feet.
"The time that Jehu reigned over
Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years." 2 Kings 10:36
Detailed Description of the
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
Material - Black Limestone Obelisk
Neo Assyrian
Date: 858-824 BC
Height: 197.85 cm (77.8937008 inches)
Width: 45.08 cm (17.7480315 inches)
Depth:
Nimrud (ancient Calah), northern Iraq
Excavated by: Henry Layard 1845-1849
Location: British Museum, London
British Museum Excerpt
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Neo-Assyrian, 858-824 BC
From Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq
The military achievements of an Assyrian king
The archaeologist Henry Layard discovered this black limestone obelisk in 1846 during his excavations of the site of
Kalhu, the ancient Assyrian capital. It was erected as a public monument in 825 BC at a time of civil war. The relief sculptures glorify the achievements of King Shalmaneser III (reigned 858-824 BC) and his chief minister. It lists their military campaigns of thirty-one years and the tribute they exacted from their
neighbours: including camels, monkeys, an elephant and a rhinoceros. Assyrian kings often collected exotic animals and plants as an expression of their power.
There are five scenes of tribute, each of which occupies four panels round the face of the obelisk and is identified by a line of cuneiform script above the panel. From top to bottom they are:
Sua of Gilzanu (in north-west Iran)
Jehu of Bit Omri (ancient northern Israel)
An unnamed ruler of Musri (probably Egypt)
Marduk-apil-usur of Suhi (middle Euphrates, Syria and Iraq)
Qalparunda of Patin (Antakya region of Turkey)
The second register from the top includes the earliest surviving picture of an Israelite: the Biblical
Jehu, king of Israel, brought or sent his tribute in around 841 BC. Ahab, son of
Omri, king of Israel, had lost his life in battle a few years previously, fighting against the king of Damascus at
Ramoth-Gilead (I Kings xxii. 29-36). His second son (Joram) was succeeded by
Jehu, a usurper, who broke the alliances with Phoenicia and Judah, and submitted to Assyria. The caption above the scene, written in Assyrian cuneiform, can be translated
The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri: I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king [and] spears.
Height: 197.85 cm
Width: 45.08 cm
Excavated by A.H. Layard
ANE 118885
Room 6, Assyrian sculpture
Related Pages:
Bible History Online - Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
The Discovery of the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
The Black
Obelisk in Biblical Archaeology
The Text on the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Text
The Destruction of Israel - Black Obelisk of Shalmanesar
King Jehu and the Black Obelisk
Paul Emile Botta
The Jehu Relief
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Austen Henry Layard
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Ancient Assyria
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Calah
Ancient Sketches
Archaeology Discoveries and the Ancient Biblical World
The
Black Obelisk. In the 1840's a British man named Austen Henry
Layard had a desire to travel to the Middle East and dig around some of
the strange looking mounds near the City of Mosul. He had heard many
tales about things being found in these mounds. He was looking for any
trace of evidence that would lead him to the lost city of Nineveh, the
capital of the ancient Assyrian Empire. Little did he know that one of
his discoveries would turn Europe upside down with excitement. He
discovered a black limestone monument which is known today as The Black
Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. This discovery brought a new authenticity
and historicity to some of the stories in the Bible. It also gained him
the support of the British Museum, and all the finances he needed to
continue his excavations, and become known as "The Father of
Assyriology."
The
Pilate Inscription. It
wasn't long ago when many scholars were questioning the actual existence
of a Roman Governor with the name of Pontius Pilate, the procurator who
ordered Jesus' crucifixion. In June 1961 Italian archaeologists led by
Dr. Frova were excavating an ancient Roman amphitheatre near
Caesarea-on-the-Sea (Maritima) and uncovered this interesting limestone
block. On the worn face is a monumental inscription which is part of a
larger dedication to Tiberius Caesar which clearly says that it was from
"Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea."
The
Megiddo Seal Bearing King Jeroboam's Name.
It is very interesting that the Jasper Seal, found at Tel Megiddo
bearing the name of King Jeroboam who ruled in the Northern Kingdom of
Israel, would contain the symbol for their rival, the Southern Kingdom
of Judah. But in examining all of the circumstances involved and seeing
what the Bible says it is no wonder that the prosperous and victorious
Northern Kingdom of Israel would boast with a symbol of their enemy.
The
Tomb of Cyrus the Great. An inscription on the tomb of the great
Persian monarch read: "O man, whoever you are and wherever you come
from, for I know that you will come--I am Cyrus, son of Cambyses, who
founded the Empire of the Persians and was king of the East. Do not
grudge me this spot of earth which covers my body." - Cyrus".
Is it true that Isaiah the Hebrew prophet mention Cyrus by name almost
200 years before he was born?
Sennacherib's
Hexagonal Prism. This amazing discovery excavated in Nineveh in
the 1830 records the Assyrian king Sennacherib's 8th campaign, which
includes his siege of Jerusalem during the reign of "Hezekiah the
Judahite" in 701 BC. There are 500 lines of writing in the Akkadian
language on this magnificent clay prism. Is the story true that it was
purchased by an American from an antiquities dealer in Baghdad?
Coming Soon
The Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
During the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah the Jews were
taken captive to a distant land called Babylon at the latter part of the
6th century BC. They passed through a beautiful entrance gate made of
mud brick masonry and glazed skin which stood 47 feet tall, commonly
referred to as the Ishtar Gate since its discovery at the turn of the
20th century near modern Baghdad, Iraq. The tall gate was dedicated to
the gods by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylonia who reigned from 605—562
BC). Is it true that Hitler had it transported to Berlin? Where is the
Ishtar Gate now?
[Next] The
Remains of Solomon's Temple
The Bible mentions many
things about people, places and events that happened in history. The
Bible also gives an accurate chronology of those people, places and
events. What is amazing is that modern archaeology has confirmed that
the Bible has never made one error, or given any clear contradictions in
all of its text in matters of historical fact. The paintings and
illustrations below of
archaeological discoveries and ruins illustrate
this emphatically.
Paintings By Bjanikka Ben and Maliyah Weston
Assyria
Weld Prism
Sargon
I Bust
Hammurabi Stele
Colossal Lion of Assyria
Statue of Ashurnasirpal II
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
III
Close up of Jehu - Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
III
Tiglath Pileser III
(Pul)
Enemy Trod Under Foot
Sargon II with Staff in Hand
Sargon II Relief
Winged Bull - One Sided
Winged Bull -
Two Sided
Assyrian Royal Guard
Soldiers of Sennacherib
Lachish Captives Being Skinned Alive
Israelite Captives from Lachish
Taylor Prism (Sennacherib Hexagonal Prism)
Stela of Ashurbanipal
Ruins
of Ancient Assyria
Painting
of Ancient Ashur
Israel
Moabite Stone
Beersheba
Altar
Ivory
Pomegranate Fake
Ossuary
of Caiaphas
Proto Ionic Capital
El Amarna Letters
House of David Inscription
Korban Inscription
Lachish Letters
Megiddo Seal - Jeraboam Inscription
Pilate Inscription
Place of Trumpeting Inscription
Qumran Jar (Dead Sea Scrolls)
Siloam Inscription
Tel Dan Stele
Temple Warning Inscription
Uzziah Tablet Inscription
Stela of Baal
Gold of Ophir Inscription
Hazael King of
Syria Statue
Ancient
Caesarea Harbor
Ancient
Caesarea Ruins
Ancient
Hittite Ruins
Babylon
Striding
Lion of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar
II Cylinder
Lagash Rations Tablet
Ishtar Gate
Nebuchadnezzar II Brick
Babylonian Chronicle
Dragon of Marduk
Lion of
Marduk
Detail
of the Lion of Marduk
The
Royal Standard of Ur
Persia
Tomb
of Cyrus
Cyrus Cylinder
Ancient Persian Soldiers
Persepolis Lion
Darius Seated
Darius
the Great (Up Close)
Ancient Persians
Ancient Persian
Warriors at Susa
Egypt
Pharaoh
Kneeling Before Bull
Amenophis II (Also Known as Thutmose-III)
Ramesses II
Shishak
Smiting His Enemies
Apis
the Sacred Bull of Memphis
Rosetta Stone
The
Pyramids
Ramesses II Colossal Statue Painting
Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs
The Israel Stela
Pharaoh Merneptah Statue
Ancient Egyptian Sphinx
Ancient Egyptian
Obelisk
Rome
Bust of
Julius Caesar
Bronze Bust of Augustus
Bust of
Augustus Caesar
Bust of
Tiberius Caesar
Arch of Titus Menorah Relief - 1
Arch of Titus
Chariot Relief -
2
Bust of
Vespasian
Bust of
Titus
Bust
of Nero
Roman
Legionary Camp
Roman
Legion Bricks with Stamp
Ancient
Roman Eagle
Ancient
Roman Aqueduct
Ancient
Roman Legions
Ancient
Roman Milestone
The
Arch of Titus
The
Colosseum
Greece
Alexander the Great Bust
Antiochus
IV Epiphanes Coin
The
Parthenon Ruins
The
Ancient Parthenon of Athens
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Bust
Alexander the Great Coin
Greek Macedonian Infantry Helmet
Ancient Persian Soldiers
Peoples
Canaanite
Chaldean
Cilician
Indian
Ionian
Mede
Persian
Philistine
(More to come)
Illustrated
Bible History A
growing database of images and sketches of the ancient world.
Bible
Maps A growing
database of maps for study and teaching.
Reconstructions
Sketches of ancient cities & monuments from archaeology.
Archaeology Resources:
The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible by Holden and Geisler. 352
Pages, 2012
Biblical Archaeology
Bible
History Online
The Story of the Bible
© Bible History Online (https://www.bible-history.com)
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