ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA

deported the god Marduk to Assyria and carried off great spoil from Esaggila, his temple in Babylon. Among other things he carried off a seal of lapis lazuli, which had belonged to Shagarakti-shuriash, father of Bitiliashu, and engraved his own name and titles on it. It was afterwards carried back to Babylon, whence Sennacherib brought it once more 600 years later. We thus get a date B.C. 1289, which must fall either in Tukulti-Ninib's reign or in that of Ninib-tukulti-Ashur's, 16 (?) years later, when Marduk was carried back to Babylon. After Adad-shum-iddina had reigned six years, the Kassites and Babylonians set Adad-shum-usur on ' his father's throne." Tukulti-Ninib had built a city called Kar-Tukulti-Ninib, close to Asshur, which he intended for a new capital, but that evidently estranged his own people, for his son Ashur-nazir-apli i. rebelled against him, besieged him in a house in his new city, and finally killed him. Of the reign of the parricide we know nothing. Adad-shum-usur corresponded with two kings of Assyria, Ashur-nirari iv. and NabO-dan, who appear to be reigning both at the same time. Perhaps they were sons of Tukulti-Ninib i., or it may be another Adad-shum-usur who was their contemporary. They are usually placed here, but we know nothing further about them. It was Ninlb-tukulti-Ashur who carried back Marduk, and perhaps the seal above named, to Babylon. Possibly he took refuge from Ashur-shum-. lisbir. There is much doubt about this period, but Adad-shum-usur Uved to defeat and kill Bel-kudur-usur. Erba-Adad ii. is known only as father of Ninib-apil-Esharra, whom Tiglath-pileser i. calls ' a powerful king that truly shepherded the hosts of Assyria.' He was besieged by Adad-shum-usur in Asshur. Ashur-dan i. defeated Zamama-shum-iddina and captured several Babylonian cities, carrying off much spoil to Assyria. He had a long reign. We know little of Mutakkil-Nusku. Ashur-rgsh-lshi began to revive the military glories of Assyria, conquering the Ahlami, Gutiura and Lullumi. He then invaded Babylonia, and Nebuchad-rezzar I. attacked him in Assyria, but was defeated and lost his commander-in-chief.

(i) Tiglath-pileser I., etc. — Tukulti-apil-Esharra (Tig-lath-pileser) I. has left us very full accounts of a long reign and series of conquests; chiefly in Upper Mesopotamia along the base of the Caucasus, Armenia, and W. to the N. E. corner of the Mediterranean, ' in all 42 countries with their princes.' The Bedouin SQti were driven back across the Euphrates. The Babylonian king Marduk-nadin-ahe invaded the S. of Assyria and carried off the gods of Ekallate, but, after two years' fighting, Tiglath-pileser defeated him and captured the chief cities of North Babylonia, including Sippara and Babylon itself. He was no less distinguished by his restorations of home cities, and he accUmatized all sorts of useful trees and plants. Ashur-bel-kala, Shamshl- Adad v. , and Ashur-dan ii. , sons of Tiglath-pileser, followed on the throne, but in what order is not known. Adad-nlrari ii. was son of Ashur-dan ii., and Ashur-nazir-apli ii. was son of Shamshi-Adad v. ; but beyond these relationships nothing much is known of them. Shalmaneser ii. tells us that he recaptured Pitru and Mitkunu on the far side of the Euphrates, which Tiglath-pileser had taken, but which were lost to Assyria in the reign of Ashur-kirbi. As Shalmaneser's six predecessors cannot be separated, it is usual to put Ashur-kirbi here. Whether the king Ilu-hirbe who set up his image near the Amanus, also named by Shalmaneser, be the same or an earlier and more successful conqueror, is not yet clear. The interval between Tiglath-pileser i. and Ashur-nirari iv., with whom accurate chronology begins, also contained Adad-nirari in., Tukulti-apil-Esharra ii., and Ashur-dan m., as known from genealogical notices, but as there is a gap of unknown extent at the commencement of the 8th Dynasty of Babylon, we cannot tell its length or how many things are still unknown to us. Adad-nirari IV. warred with Shamash-mudammik and NabQ-shum-

ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA

Ishkun of Babylon; Tukulti-Ninib ii. continued the subjugation of the mountaineers N. of Assyria, gradually winning back the Empire of Tiglath-pileser i.

With Ashur-nazir-apli iir. began a fresh tide of Assyrian conquest, b.c. 885. He rebuilt Calah, and made it his capital. The small Aramaean State of Bit-Adini, between the Balih and Euphrates, held out against him, but he conquered the Mannai, KirrQr, and Zamua between Lake Van and Lake Urmia. Car-chemish, Unki (' Amk), or Hattin on the Orontes were raided, and the army reached the Lebanon. Tyre, Sidon, Gebal, Arvad, etc., were fain to buy off the conqueror. Ashur-nazir-apli had invaded the Baby-lonian sphere of influence, and NabQ-apli-iddina sent his brother Zabdanu to support his allies. Ashur-nazir-apli took Zabdanu and 3000 troops prisoners.

(j) Shalmaneser II., etc. — The reign of Shalmaneser ii., his son and successor, was one long campaign. He records 33 separate expeditions, and began to annex his conquests by placing governors over the conquered districts. The Armenian Empire now began to bar Assyria's progress north. Assyria now first appeared on Israel's horizon as a threatening danger. Shalmaneser's celebrated bronzedoors at Balawat and the Black Obelisk give us pictures of scenes in his reign. They represent ambassadors from Girzan near Lake Urmia, from JahQa (Jehu) of Israel, from Musri, from Marduk-aplu-usur of Suhi, and from Karparunda of Hattin. This Musri is N.E. of Cilicia (1 K lO^s), whence Solomon brought his horses. Shalmaneser invaded Kue in Cilicia, and Tabal (Tubal), where he annexed the sUver, salt, and alabaster works. He reached Tarzl (Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul). To the N.E. he penetrated Parsua, the original Persia, In Babylonia, NabO-apli-iddina was deposed by his son, Marduk-shum-iddina, against whom arose his brother Marduk-bel-usate, who held the southern States of the Sealand, already peopled by the Chal-dasans. Shalmaneser invaded Babylonia, and, passing to the E., besieged Marduk-bel-usate in Me-turnat, drove lilm from one stronghold to another, and finally killed him and all his partisans. In the r61e of a friend of Babylon, Shalmaneser visited the chief cities and sacrificed to the gods, captured most of the southern States, and laid them under tribute.

Shalmaneser's campaign against Hamath on the Orontes took place in b.c. 854. The fall of Bit-Adini had roused all N. Syria to make a stand. At Karkar the Assyrian army had against them a truly wonderful combination.

Chariots. Horsemen. Foot. Bir-idri of Damascus . 1200 1200 20,000

Irhulini of Hamath . . 700 700 10,000

Ahabbu of Sir'il . . 2000 .. 10,000

The Gui (Kue) ■ . . . . . . 500

Musri . . 1,000

Irkanat ... 10 .. 10,000

Matin-ba'al of Arvad . . . . . 200

Uaanat . . 200

Adunu-ba'al of Shiana .30 . . 10,000

Ba'sa of Ammon .... . . 1,000

Gindibu the Arab . . 1000 Camels.

The presence of Ahab in this battle in which Shalmaneser claims to have won the victory is most interesting. The battle was not productive of any settled results, as Shalmaneser had to fight the same foes in b.c. 849 and again in b.c. 846. In b.c. 842 Shalmaneser defeated Hazael, besieged him in Damascus, and carried off the spoils of Malaha, his residence. At this time he received tribute from Tyre, Sidon, and Jehu, 'of the house of Omri.' Jehu's tribute is interesting — it includes silver, gold, a vessel of gold, a ladle of gold, golden drinking cups, golden beakers, tin, a sceptre, and bedolach.

Shalmaneser's last years were clouded by the rebellion of his son Ashur-danin-apli, who alienated more than half the Empire, and was not subdued by the successor to the throne, his brother Shamshi-Adad vi., till after eight years' struggle. He may be considered actual king

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