Date- 730 BCE
Current Location- British Museum, London, England
Language and Script- Assyrian?; cuneiform
“Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver.” (2 Kings 15-19)
General Information-
Towards the end of his reign, Tiglath-Pileser III constructed a massive palace in his capital, Kalah (modern Nimrud). Each hall was decorated with a copy of his annals inscribed along the walls.
Relevance to Ancient Israel- The section on Tiglath-Pileser’s eighth year (738 BCE) records a list of kings who paid him tribute, including Menahem of Samaria, as in the Iran Stele. The slight differences between the two lists, mainly the change in the year, have led some scholars to suggest that they represent two different instances of tribute payment. Although this is a possibility, it may just be a case of hypersensitivity to minor details, especially considering the difference in time and location of the writing of the two inscriptions.
Circumstances of Discovery and Acquisition- Tiglath-Pileser’s palace in Kalah was first excavated by Austin Henry Layard in 1847. The portion of the annals mentioning King Menahem is now housed at the British Museum.