Black obelisk of Shalmaneser III, around 827 BC, Nimrud, near the Shalmaneser building This obelisk of black alabaster was erected in the centre of Nimrud shortly before the death of King Shalmaneser III (858 - 824 BC). It records the king's wars, and shows tribute being brought to him from all directions. The inscriptions identify the sources of the tribute illustrated in the 5 rows of pictures as (from top row to bottom row):
This photo gives a view of side A (right) and side D (left). For a translation of the inscriptions above the rows of pictures, see here. For a translation of the full text of the inscriptions, see here. A reference to look up if you have the book: Mitchell, T. C., The Bible in the British Museum, (London: The British Museum Press) 1988, pp. 46-49. |