Shalmaneser
PeopleWhat is the meaning of Shalmaneser in the Bible?
Shalmaneser V was an Assyrian king who ascended to the throne in 727 BC following the death of Tiglath-Pileser III and ruled until his death in 722 BC. He is identified in the biblical narrative (2 Kings 17:3-6) as the ruler who besieged the Israelite capital of Samaria for three years, an event that culminated in the city's fall and the subsequent deportation of its population.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding Shalmaneser V provides the historical context for the fall of Samaria, confirming the biblical account of the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and the beginning of the exile of the ten tribes.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
- Why did the biblical author mention Shalmaneser in this passage?
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Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.