Roughly one hundred years before the city
of Samaria fell to Assyrian invaders, King Jehu of Israel offered tribute to
their king, Shalmaneser III.
We know this from an inscription on the side of a
seven-foot obelisk currently making its home in the British Museum. It depicts a rather scruffy-looking Israelite monarch on his face at the feet
of his Assyrian counterpart. The accompanying caption reads, “The tribute of
Jehu, son of Omri: I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a
golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff
for a king [and] spears.”
The black obelisk was carved approximately
2,800 years ago. As you may appreciate, there are not many such items around.
Those that remain are highly valued by historians.