Archaeology: The black obelisk of Shalmaneser

This 6 1/2 foot tall black basalt obelisk (four-sided pillar) reports in pictures and words the conquests of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, enemy of the Israelites.

The Black Obelisk was discovered in the palace at Nimrud in 1846 and shows the biblical Jehu, king of Israel, kneeling down and bringing tribute to the Assyrian king, Shalmaneser.

Dating from 841 B.C., this important find is the only picture we have so far of an Israelite king. This is the first mention of tribute paid to Assyria by Israel. King Jehu’s reign is mentioned in 2 Kings 9-10, even though the tribute is not.

Kyle Campbell