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Fragment of a Stele

Neo-Assyrian (Artist)
858-824 BCE (Neo-Assyrian)
black stone
(Ancient Near East )

The inscription on the large, four-sided stele from which this fragment comes chronicles the genealogy of the Assyrian kings and the account of King Shalmaneser III's defeat of King Haza'ilu of Damascus. While Shalmaneser's name does not survive, the accompanying royal titles confirm the identification. Haza'ilu is Hazael, king of Syria, often mentioned in Old Testament book of 2 Kings as the adversary of Israel.

Inscription

[Translation from composite text of Cuneiform Digital Library RIMA 3.0.102.009] On obverse: [Shalmaneser], great [king], mighty king, king of the world, / [king without rival], dragon, weapon destroying / [all regions, who commands] princes of all countries / [...] of the Ekur, ensi of [...] / [...] [who] all his enemies / [like pots] he smashed (them). / [Mighty (and) merciless male], who does [not] spare (the foe) in battle / [...] his mighty weapons / [...] in battle / [...] of his enemies / [...] wide; mighty king. / [king of all the four regions (of the world)], who rules / [all countries, king] sought after by the gods, / [...] prudent [viceroy of] [(he god) Ashur / [...] / [...] / [...]; [Translation] On right side: [At] that time / [Haza'ilu] of Damascus / [...] / I captured his warriors / [...] wide [...] / I defeated [him] and captured [his] camp / To [save] / his life, he went up, and [as far as] / the city of Damascus / his royal city, I followed (him) / [I cut down] his orchards / and his hinterland / I burned [...] / city [...] / [...] [https://cdli.ucla.edu/P272834]

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

[From Assur]; Edgar J. Banks, Bagdad; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Exhibitions

1971-1972 World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

Conservation

Date Description Narrative
6/23/1978 Treatment cleaned
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Geographies

Mesopotamia (Place of Origin)

Measurements

9 x 12 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (22.9 x 31.8 x 41.9 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters, 1930

Location in Museum

Centre Street: Second Floor: Ancient Near Eastern Art

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

41.162

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