The bands describe an important religious discovery in 852 BCE when King Shalmaneser found the source of the River Tigris at Tigristunnel.
Afterwards, Innes claimed that he had converted the heathen to Christianity and christened him George Psalmanazar (in reference to biblical Assyrian king Shalmaneser).
Eberhard Schrader theorized that he might be identical with the Shalman who waged war on Israel and sacked Beth-arbel (Hosea x. 14); though other scholars identify Shalman with one of the Assyrian kings named Shalmaneser.
Shalmaneser III | Shalmaneser | Shalmaneser IV | Shalmaneser V | Shalmaneser II | Shalmaneser I | Shalmaneser V from ''Guillaume Rouillé |
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
From 724 to 720 BC, Tyre was under siege, the port being blockaded by Shalmaneser.
Shalmaneser was the son of Ashurnasirpal II and like his father, expended much of his energies into fighting and expanding in the name of Ashur.
In 836 BC, Shalmaneser sent an expedition against the Tibareni (Tabal) which was followed by one against Cappadocia, and in 832 BC came another campaign against Urartu.
The Egyptians attempted to gain a foothold in the Near East (then controlled by the Assyrian Empire) by entering the region and stirring up Assyria's vassal Israelite, Judaean, Philistine, Canaanite and Samaritan subjects against Assyria, but were defeated and driven out by Shalmaneser V.
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According to the Bible, King of Israel Hoshea was captured in the 9th year of his reign after conspiring against Shalmaneser V by sending messages to Piye, king of Egypt.