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Bar-Rakib Stele

A vassal king of Sam'al who boasts of serving 'my lord Tiglath-Pileser'

Israel & Judah · stele, relief, inscription · Accepted by scholars · found 1891

Basalt relief of a seated king with a standing scribe holding a writing tablet
Photo: Gary Todd · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Found 1891 — German Oriental Society excavations at Zincirli under Felix von Luschan (with Robert Koldewey), 1888–1902

Where Zincirli (ancient Sam'al), Gaziantep Province, Turkey (Turkey)

Dates from c. 730 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Tiglath-Pileser III; Ahaz; Pekah)

Now at Vorderasiatisches Museum (Pergamon Museum), Berlin (Bar-Rakib II–V, VIII); Bar-Rakib I in the Museum of the Ancient Orient, Istanbul

Names a biblical person Tiglath-Pileser (Ahaz and Rezin not named)

How Bar-Rakib Stele was found

Found in the palace area of the citadel of Sam'al (Zincirli Hoyuk) in southeast Turkey, with other reliefs and inscriptions of the local dynasty.

What it is

A basalt orthostat showing King Bar-Rakib seated on a throne with a scribe before him, and a short Aramaic text: 'I am Bar-Rakib son of Panamuwa... My lord is Baal-Harran.' A longer building inscription from the same site says he 'ran at the wheel of my lord Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria' and was made king in place of his father, who died fighting for Assyria at Damascus in 733/732 BCE.

Why it matters for the Bible

Bar-Rakib shows what it meant to be a loyal vassal of Tiglath-Pileser — the path Ahaz of Judah chose when he sent tribute and said 'I am your servant and your son'. His father Panamuwa died in the Assyrian campaign against Damascus that also swept away Rezin and Pekah, the two kings who had attacked Ahaz (Isaiah 7). The Aramaic script and language are close to what Judah's officials could 'understand' in 2 Kings 18:26.

The Hebrew word: EH-ved

עֶבֶד

עֶבֶד is pronounced EH-ved and means servant; vassal (Strong's H5650).

People this discovery connects to

Places

Events

Assyrian campaign against Damascus (733–732 BCE) · Vassalage of small kingdoms to Assyria

Bar-Rakib Stele in Scripture

2 Kings 15:19 First mention of Tiglath-pileser in Scripture.

2 Kings 16:7 Ahaz declares himself Tiglath-Pileser's servant and son — the same vassal language Bar-Rakib uses.

2 Kings 16:9 Tiglath-Pileser takes Damascus and kills Rezin; Bar-Rakib's father died in that campaign.

Questions people ask

What is Bar-Rakib Stele?
A basalt orthostat showing King Bar-Rakib seated on a throne with a scribe before him, and a short Aramaic text: 'I am Bar-Rakib son of Panamuwa... My lord is Baal-Harran.' A longer building inscription from the same site says he 'ran at the wheel of my lord Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria' and was made king in place of his father, who died fighting for Assyria at Damascus in 733/732 BCE.

When was Bar-Rakib Stele discovered?
It was found in 1891 by German Oriental Society excavations at Zincirli under Felix von Luschan (with Robert Koldewey), 1888–1902, at Zincirli (ancient Sam'al), Gaziantep Province, Turkey.

Where is Bar-Rakib Stele today?
Vorderasiatisches Museum (Pergamon Museum), Berlin (Bar-Rakib II–V, VIII); Bar-Rakib I in the Museum of the Ancient Orient, Istanbul.

Which Bible verses does Bar-Rakib Stele relate to?
2 Kings 15:19, 2 Kings 16:7, 2 Kings 16:9.

Related discoveries

Sources

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