1
Chronicles 5:25 And they transgressed against the
God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the
land, whom God destroyed before them. 26 And the God of Israel stirred up the
spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and
the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of
Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites,
and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and
Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day. (KJV)
The
observant reader will have noticed that the King James Translation of the Bible
refers to two kings of Assyria at the time of king Menahem of Israel: Pul and
Tilgathpilneser the latter also known as Tiglath Pileser. The KJV translated it
correctly according to the original Hebrew text. The well-known Septuagint
translation has also and indicating two separate kings.
LXX
1 Chronicles 5:25 But they rebelled against the God
of their fathers, and went a-whoring after the gods of the nations of the land,
whom God cast out from before them. 26 And the God of Israel stirred up the
spirit of Phaloch king of Assyria, and
the spirit of Thagla-phallasar king of Assyria, and carried away Ruben and
Gaddi, and the half-tribe of Manasse, and brought them to Chaach, and Chabor,
and to the river Gozan, until this day.
Accepting
this as historically correct brings one immediately in collision with today s
science Assyriology. To Assyriology Pul and Tiglath Pileser III are one and the
same person. Pul according to them being the Babylonian throne-name of Tiglath
Pileser. A king with the name Pul reigned according to the Ptolemy-canon over
Babylon from 22.02.731 till 20.02.726 BC, supposedly a similar time period of
Tiglath Pileser III according to orthodox Assyriology. The fact that the
original Hebrew text of the Bible has clearly two separate kings mentioned in 1
Chronicles 5:25 has no value whatsoever to Assyriology. They consider the
Assyrian kings list as complete and firmly fixed on the timescale. Other historical
sources like the Bible and the historian Flavius Josephus are rejected. This is
however not my viewpoint and this article will show that some Assyrian kings-names
went missing, were deleted from the kings list and that on several occasions in
their history the Assyrian kings had co-regencies and consequently it is the
Assyrian kings list and its modern chronology that needs adjusting.
© Robert De Telder, Dertig Jubeljaren, 2018, page 261
We
start our revision with Pul and Tiglath Pileser III to be followed by
Shalmaneser V, Sargon II and Sennacherib. All of these kings carried out
campaigns against Israel and Judah. Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian of
the first Century AD, refers to the same invasion as mentioned in 1 Chronicles
5:25 and also declares Pul and Tiglath Pileser III to be two separate kings:
Antiquities,
Book IX, xi.1.
And after this manner it was that this Menahem continued to reign with cruelty and barbarity for ten
years. But when Pul, king of Assyria,
had made an expedition against him, he did not think meet to fight or engage in
battle with the Assyrians, but he persuaded him to accept of a thousand talents
of silver, and to go away, and so put an end to the war. This sum the multitude
collected for Menahem, by exacting
fifty drachme as poll-money for every head; after which he died, and was
buried in Samaria, and left his son Pekahiah his successor in the kingdom, who
followed the barbarity of his father, and so ruled but two years only, after
which he was slain with his friends at a feast, by the treachery of one Pekah, the general of his horse, and
the son of Remaliah, who laid snares for him. Now this Pekah held the
government twenty years, and proved a wicked man and a transgressor. But the king of Assyria, whose name was Tiglath-Pileser, when he had made an expedition against the
Israelites, and had overrun all the land of Gilead, and the region beyond
Jordan, and the adjoining country, which is called Galilee, and Kadesh, and
Hazor, he made the inhabitants prisoners, and transplanted them into his own
kingdom. And so much shall suffice to have related here concerning the king of
Assyria.
According
to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Louis Ginzberg, (Chapter IX, The Two
Kingdoms Chastised), we learn that three Assyrian invasions happened over a
period of time:
Pekah,
however, was not permitted to enjoy the fruits of his victory, for the king of Assyria invaded his empire,
captured the golden calf at Dan, and led the tribes on the east side of Jordan
away into exile. The dismemberment of
the Israelitish kingdom went on apace for some years. Then the Assyrians,
in the reign of Hoshea, carried off the second golden calf together with the
tribes of Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, and Naphtali, leaving but one-eighth of the
Israelites in their own land. The larger portion of the exiles was taken to
Damascus. After that Israel's doom overtook it with giant strides, and the last
ruler of Israel actually hastened the end of his kingdom by a pious deed. After
the golden calves were removed by the Assyrians, Hoshea, the king of the north,
abolished the institution of stationing the guards on the frontier between
Judah and Israel to prevent pilgrimages to Jerusalem. But the people made no
use of the liberty granted them. They persisted in their idolatrous cult, and
this quickened their punishment. So long as their kings had put obstacles in
their path, they could excuse themselves before God for not worshipping Him in
the true way. The action taken by their king Hoshea left them no defense. When the Assyrians made their third
incursion into Israel, the kingdom of the north was destroyed forever, and
the people, one and all, were carried away into exile
.
© Robert De Telder, Dertig Jubeljaren, 2018, page 262
The
invasion of Israel as mentioned in 1 Chronicles 5:25 is to be fixed at the
timescale in the year 763 BC being the first year of reign of Menahem.
It
should be clear to the reader that I abandoned the shortened kings list of
Israel and Judah as fabricated by Edwin R. Thiele linked to the Assyrian kings
list. I returned to the naturally stretched out kings list as we find it in the
Bible firmly linked within the historical Sabbat- and Jubilee-years-frame. King
Menahem reigned from 763 BC till 753 BC. These years are the result when fixing
the fourteenth year of reign of Hezekiah to the Sabbath year of
april709/march708 BC followed by the Jubilee year of october709/september708 BC
and navigate back from this way-point to the years of reign of king Uzzia (TIJD
en TIJDEN, 2015, page 279/284).
2
Kings 15:17 In
the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and
reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of
the Lord: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 19 And Pul
the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand
talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in
his hand. 20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty
men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of
Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. (KJV)
2
Kings 15:17-20 and 1 Chronicles 5:25 describe the same Assyrian invasion. On
basis of the obtained information in the Bible and Josephus we have to fix the
Biblical king of Assyria: Pul, on the time-scale approximately from the year
776 BC till 761 BC. Most probably Pul was the father of Tiglath Pileser III and
both shared the crown of Assyria for some time. The preserved annals of Tiglath
Pileser s refer to receiving tribute from Menahem of Israel as well:
Annals of Tiglat Pileser III, ANET 3 283: I
received tribute from Kutapi of Commagene, Rezon of Damascus, Menahem of Samaria, Hiram of Tyre,
Sibitti-bi'li of Byblos, Urikki of Qu'e, Pisiris of Karchemi, I'nil of Hamath,
Panammu of Sam'al, Tarhulara of Gurgum, Sulumal of Melitene, Dadili of Kaska,
Uassarme of Tabal, Uhitti of Tuhana, Tuhamma of Itunda, Urimme of Hubina,
and Zabibe, the queen of Arabi - gold, silver, tin, iron, elephant-hides,
ivory, linen garments with multi-coloured trimmings, blue-dyed wool,
purple-dyed wool, ebony-wood, boxwood-wood, whatever was precious enough for a
royal treasure; also lambs whose stretched hides were dyed purple, wild birds
whose spread-out wings were dyed blue, furthermore horses, mules, large and
small cattle, male dromedaries, female dromedaries with their foals.
Assyriology
has Tiglath Pileser III as king over Assyria from 745 till 727 BC which is in
contradiction with the period of reign of Menahem of Israel: 763/753 BC based
on the naturally stretched out chronology of the Biblical kings of Israel and
Judah.
Tiglath
Pileser also refers to king Uzzia/Azariah of Judah as the leader of a coalition
of Minor-Asian Kings:
In
the course of my campaign, I received the tribute of the kings of the seacoast
Azariah of Judah, like
Azariah, the land of Judah
without
number, reaching high to heaven and exceedingly great on earth
with eyes, as
from heaven
by attack of charging infantry, by mines
they heard of the onset
of Assurs dense masses of troops and their hearts became afraid
I destroyed,
I devastated, with fire I burned
which had gone over to Azariah and had strengthened him
like stumps
exceedingly
difficult
was barred and was high
were situated
his egress
I had them
bring
I surrounded his garrisoned towns and against
I caused them to carry
and
his great
like pots I smashed
rider
Azariah
my royal palace
in
tribute like that of the Assyrians I
laid upon them
and the city of Kullani
at his invitation
the cities of Usnu,
Siannu, Simirra and
buna, which are on the seacoast, together with the cities
up to Mount Saue, a mountain which abuts on Mount Lebanon, Mount Bali-sapuna,
as far as Mount Amanus, the boxwood mountain, Mount Sau, in its entirety, the
provinces of Kar-Adad, the city of Hatarikka, the province of Nukudina, Mount
Hasu as well as the cities which lie about it, the city of Ara, the cities on
both sides of them, together with the cities of Ashani and Iadabi, Mount
Iaraku, in its entirety, the cities of
ri, Ellitarbi, Zitanu, up to the city
Atinni,
the city of Bumane, - 19 districts of Hamath, together with the
cities of their environs, which lie on the shore of the sea of the setting sun,
which had gone over to Azariah,
in revolt and contempt of Assyria, I brought within the border of Assyria.
My officials I set over them as governors. 30.300 people I carried off from
their cities and placed them in the province of the city of Ku-. 1.223 people I
settled in the province of the land of Ulluba.
© Robert De Telder, Dertig Jubeljaren, 2018, page 263
Uzzia/Azaria
reigned over Judah from 803 till 750 BC. A larger part of Azarias reign as
from the year 776 BC his son Jotham was co-regent after Uzzia was struck with
leprosy.
Judah
was a military superpower at the time and as such an obstacle for the ever
expanding Assyrian empire. Revised I have Tiglath
Pileser III reigning from about 761 BC till 735 BC. I realize that this is irreconcilable
with present Assyrian chronology but since I stick to the Biblical chronology
there is no other way. I will deal with the Eponym list regarding Tiglath
Pileser III shortly. Please stay with me dear reader. The traced lineage of
Tiglath Pileser III so far leaves a lot of questions unanswered by orthodox
Assyriology which should raise doubts about their understanding of the eponym
lists.
Orthodox
Assyriology has Tiglath Pileser III as the son of Assur Nirari which is
contradicted by archeology. On a discovered stone-inscription Tiglath Pileser
III is mentioned as the son of Adad Nirari (KAH,I, Nos. 21-23. Ancient records
of Assyria and Babylonia by Daniel David Luckenbill, Chicago, 1926). The
contradiction remains till today and was never explained. It is interesting to
read a statement made by the Assyriologist Luckenbill regarding the preserved
annals of Tiglath Pileser III:
The
annals of Tiglath Pileser were engraved upon the slabs of the rebuilt central
palace at Calah. These slabs were later removed by Essarhaddon to be used in
his southwest palace of the same city. As a result of the removal and
retrimming of the stone, the annals have
come down to us in a fragmentary state. Without the aid of the Eponym lists
with notes it would have been impossible to arrange the fragments in their
chronological order, and, even so, future
discoveries are likely to show that the arrangement now generally accepted is
wrong.
This
statement allows us to work on a revision of the chronology of the Assyrian
kings on the time-scale and linked to the Bible this time.
The
Bible refers during this time period to the kings of Assyria in plural
which can only mean that the throne of Assyria was shared by several kings at
the same time. In the last year of reign of king Pekah of Israel in 735 BC Pekah
marched against Jerusalem allied with Aram. It is in that particular year that
Ahaz of Judah wrote a letter to the kings (kings in plural) for help against
the deadly alliance by Samaria and Damascus.
2 Chronicles 28:16 At that
time did king Ahaz send unto the kings
of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten
Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the
cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken
Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof,
and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and
they dwelt there. 19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of
Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. 20 And
Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came
unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
The
letter was sent to the kings of Assyria in plural but it was Tiglath Pileser
III who descended to Damascus in 735 BC attacking the Arameans from the rear
thus relieving Judah. Since Scripture does not come to hide but to explain I
accept that the letter send to the kings of Assyria in plural refers to a
co-reign of Tiglath Pileser together with another king. According to my
revision this king is identified as Shalmaneser V who consequently held the
crown of Assyria much longer than orthodox Assyriology allows. Shalmaneser V will
be dealt with shortly.
The
attack against Jerusalem by Samaria and Damascus allied caused Ahaz of Judah to
write to the kings of Assyria for help which brought the Assyrian for
another campaign in the region.
2
Kings 16:7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying,
I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand
of the king of Israel, which rise up
against me. 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of
the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present
to the king of Assyria. 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the
king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people
of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. 10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet
Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king
Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it,
according to all the workmanship thereof. (KJV)
This
invasion has to fixed between the years 737 and 735 BC on the time-scale based
on the chronology of the kings Pekah and Ahaz of Israel and Judah. Tiglath
Pileser III refers in his preserved annals (Nimrud Tablet (in Rost, 78-81, lines
1-19) to the removal of Pekah and the establishment of Hoshea by him as king
over Israel.
© Robert De Telder, Dertig Jubeljaren, 2018, page 264
Using
the chronological information of the Bible and Josephus allows us to revise the
length of reign over Assyria by Tiglath Pileser III. The year 763 BC had him
campaigning against Israel as a co-regent or co-king with Pul. The year 735 BC
had him campaigning against Damascus. His period of reign goes from
approximately 763 till 735 BC with a minimum period of reign of approximately 30
years.
Let
us now adjust and correct the interpretation of the eponym-list regarding the
reign of Tiglath Pileser III. I will show that there exists time-gaps in the
list primarily caused by a cycle of mega-nature-catastrophes followed each time
by a period of chaos and anarchy. I believe that Tiglath Pileser III was most
probably the son of Adad Nirari IV alias Pul who was a usurper of the Assyrian
crown at that time of upheaval in the month October of the year 776 BC when it
seemed that the world was about to end such was the magnitude of the
mega-nature-catastrophe that hit planet Earth that year. Fifty four years and
six months later a similar major catastrophe hit the ancient world in April 722
BC the same month and year when king Ahaz of Judah died with a reported
catastrophe occurring at that exact time by Jewish Legend. In between there
were mega natural upheavals in the years 761, 748, 735 and 709 BC.
I
have Tiglath Pileser III become sole-ruler in 761 BC. The eponym of Nab(?)-bela-usur
is herewith adjusted to the year 761/760 BC. Hereafter follows the eponym list.
To the left I have added my revised years and between brackets the orthodox
years:
761/760 [745/744] During the eponomy of Nab�-bela-usur,
the governor of Arrapha, in Ajaru, the thirteenth, Tiglath-pileser [III]
ascended the throne. In Tar�tu, he on Mesopotamia.
760/759 [744/743] During the eponomy of B�l-dan,
the governor of Kalhu, campaign against Namri.
759/758 [743/742] During the eponomy of Tiglath-pileser, the
king of Assyria, there was a massacre among the Urartians in Arpad.
(Comment:
There are additional preserved annals of Tiglath Pileser from his palace-walls
at Kalhu. On it he claims to have received tribute in his third year of reign from
Azaria of Judah and Menahem of Israel.)
758/757 [742/741] During the eponomy of Nab�-da'inannil,
the commander in chief, campaign against Arpad.
757/756 [741/740]During the eponomy of B�l-Harran-b�la-usur,
the palace herald, campaign against the same; the city was taken after three
years.
756/755 [740/739] During the eponomy of Nab�-etiranni,
the chief butler, campaign against Arpad.
755/754 [739/738] During the eponomy of Sin-taklak, the
chamberlain, campaign against Ulluba; Birtu was captured
754/753 [738/737] During the eponomy of Adad-b�la-ka'in,
the governor of Aur, Kullania was captured.
(Comment:
The mentioned city Kullania is the same place as Biblical Calno to which the
prophet Isaiah referred: Isaiah 10:5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the
staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an
hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a
charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like
the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart
think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 8
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as
Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
From
Tiglath Pileser IIIs eight year of reign some annals were preserved stating that
he received tribute from Menahem of Israel that year. The year 754/753 BC was
the last year of reign of Menahem and thus fits the revised framework.)
753/752 [737/736] During the eponomy of B�l-emuranni,
the governor of Rasappa, campaign against Media.
Comment:
the well-known so called Iran-stele dates back to this campaign. On it the name
Menahem among other appears again as tribute-payers.
752/751 [736/735] During the eponomy of Inurta-ilaya, the
governor of Nisibis, campaign at the foot of Mount Nal.
751/750 [735/734] During the eponomy of Aur-allimanni, the
governor of Arrapha, campaign against Urartu.
750/749 [734/733] During the eponomy of B�l-dan,
the governor of Kalhu, campaign against Philistia.
Comment:
In the course of Tiglath Pileser s campaign against Philistia we fix the
described Assyrian invasion in 2 Kings 15:29 on the time-scale
2
Kings 15:29 In
the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and
took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead,
and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria
(KJV).
The
corresponding annals of Tiglath Pileser III on the walls of his palace in Kalhu
were lost. Essarhaddon the son of Sanherib had the tiles during his days already
removed and recycled for use in his new built palace. We only have the short
remark in the eponym of B(?)l-dan that he marched against Philistia but seen
from a chronological viewpoint the same campaign took him to Northern Israel.
749/748 [733/732] During the eponomy of Aur-da'inanni, the
governor of Mazamua, campaign against Damascus.
Comment:
The year 748 BC witnessed a worldwide mega-catastrophe that caused a period of
chaos for a long time and which is responsible for a time-gap in the Assyrian
eponym list. A year later the so called Nabonassar-era started together with a
necessary calendar-reform. The year 748 BC was also the year of the withdrawal
of the Judaean army out of Egypt. All this I discussed in my book TIJD en
TIJDEN, 2015, which is not as yet translated into English.
Anyway
by linking the chronological information we have on Tiglath Pileser III on the
Bible time-scale forces us to accept a much longer period of reign for the
Assyrian king. There is definitely a gap between 748 BC and 735 BC and this on
basis of the Biblical chronological framework. The eponym of Nab(?)-b(?)la-usur
is revised fixed to 735 BC the year Hoshea was installed as king over Israel by
Tiglath Pileser III.
735/734 [732/731] During the eponomy of Nab�-b�la-usur,
the governor of Si'imme, campaign against Damascus.
734/733 [731/730] During the eponomy of Nergal-uballit, the
governor of Ahizu-hina, campaign against apiya.
Comment:
Sapiya lies south of Babylon on the map and this campaign is also mentioned on preserved
annals obtained from his palace-walls at Kalhu.
733/732 [730/729] During the eponomy of B�l-lu-dari,
the governor of Tille, the king stayed in the land.
Comment:
the king stayed in the land is a euphemism for doing nothing. Nothing was preserved
regarding this year from the annals at his palace-walls.
732/731 [729/728] During the eponomy of Liphur-ilu, the
governor of Habruri, the king took the hand of B(?)l [???and became king of
Babylonia???].
Comment:
the expression the king took the hand of Bel was used for the kingship over
Babylon. According to Assyriology Tiglath Pileser III was equal to the
Babylonian Pul an identification we rejected already earlier. According to my
revision the following kings of Babylon are now contemporaries with Tiglath
Pileser III: Nabu-shuma-ishkun (761-748 BC) and Nubu-nasir or Nabonassar
(748/734 BC). Tiglath Pileser III undertook several campaigns to the area of
Babylon and annexed large parts of its territory. I doubt that he ever marched
into the city of Babylon. The Babylonian kings list does not refer to him.
731/730 [728/727]During the eponomy of Dur-Aur, the
governor of Tuhan, the king took the hand of B�l; the
city of Hi[...] was captured.
The
eponym of Dur-Aur is the last one for Tiglath Pileser. The next eponym of B�l-Harran-b�la-usur
has Shalmaneser ascending the throne:
730/729 [727/726] During the eponomy of B�l-Harran-b�la-usur,
the governor of Guzana, campaign against [...]. almaneser [V] ascended the throne.
To
be continued
Robert
De Telder
Recent
publications:
Dertig Jubeljaren,
2018, zie link: https://www.bol.com/nl/p/dertig-jubeljaren/9200000101929798/?suggestionType=searchhistory&bltgh=jLyCAgDUe71UKHV4eLlBLQ.1.7.ProductImage&fbclid=IwAR1FW-GC4SRsGCLFOa0BP_MG9IXEYx3Uo2Ugz3s6x74aPfO0kexdKcN4hqU
Kronieken van de koningen van Israël, 2017, zie link: https://www.bol.com/nl/p/kronieken-van-de-koningen-van-israel/9200000086650052/?suggestionType=searchhistory
EXODUS, 2016,
zie link: http://www.bravenewbooks.nl/books/102331
Dit
boek kan inmiddels volledig online
gelezen worden via de volgende link: https://jezusleeft.weebly.com/exodus.html
De Zonaanbidder, 2016,
zie link: http://www.bravenewbooks.nl/books/87999
TIJD en TIJDEN, 2015,
Zie link: http://boekscout.nl/shop/ViewProduct.aspx?bookId=5579
De Assyriologie herzien, 2012, zie link: http://www.bravenewbooks.nl/books/76234
De Tweede Wereldoorlog door de ogen van een neutrale
Belg, 2007, zie link: http://www.bravenewbooks.nl/books/69343
Genesis versus Egyptologie, 2009, dit boek is
uitverkocht maar kan online gelezen worden op de hierna volgende link: http://jezusleeft.weebly.com/genesis-versus-egyptologie.html
Apocalyps, 2009, (dit boek
is uitverkocht maar op een PDF-document gratis op eenvoudig verzoek per email
bij de auteur verkrijgbaar)
