Zakkur Stele
A king of Hamath saved from 'Bar-Hadad son of Hazael' — Ben-Hadad III in stone
Found 1903 — Henri Pognon, French consul and Assyriologist
Where Tell Afis (Hazrach / Hadrach), Idlib Governorate, Syria (Syria)
Dates from c. 800–785 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Ben-Hadad III of Aram; Jehoahaz of Israel)
Now at Louvre Museum, Paris (AO 8185)
Names a biblical person Ben-Hadad III, Hazael
How Zakkur Stele was found
Found at Tell Afis, south of Aleppo, the site of ancient Hazrach (biblical Hadrach); published by Pognon in 1907.
What it is
The lower part of a basalt stele, about 62 cm high, once topped by a statue of the seated king. Its Aramaic text has Zakkur, king of Hamath and Luash, tell how 'Bar-Hadad son of Hazael, king of Aram' gathered sixteen (or seventeen) kings to besiege him in Hazrach, and how his god Baalshamayn answered him through seers: 'Do not fear, for I made you king, and I will stand with you and deliver you.'
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the only inscription naming Ben-Hadad III (Bar-Hadad), the son of Hazael whom 2 Kings 13 says Jehoash defeated three times. It shows Aram still leading big coalitions around 800 BCE and then losing — matching the Bible's picture of Aram's decline after Hazael. The oracle 'do not fear, I will deliver you' is strikingly like the language of Isaiah and other prophets.
The Hebrew word: al-tee-RAH
אַל־תִּירָא
אַל־תִּירָא is pronounced al-tee-RAH and means 'do not fear' — the salvation oracle formula (Strong's H408 + H3372).
People this discovery connects to
- Ben-Hadad III — בֶּן־הֲדַד (Ben-ha-DAHD) — son of Hadad
- Hazael — חֲזָאֵל (Cha-zah-EL) — El has seen
Places
- Hamath — חֲמָת (Cha-MAHT) — fortress
- Hadrach — חַדְרָךְ (Chad-RAHCH) — (uncertain)
Events
Wars of Ben-Hadad III · Decline of Aram-Damascus
Zakkur Stele in Scripture
2 Kings 13:3 First mention of Ben-hadad in Scripture.
2 Kings 13:24-25 Ben-Hadad son of Hazael succeeds him and loses cities to Jehoash; the stele names this same 'Bar-Hadad son of Hazael'.
Zechariah 9:1 The only biblical mention of Hadrach, the city Zakkur ruled.
Questions people ask
What is Zakkur Stele?
The lower part of a basalt stele, about 62 cm high, once topped by a statue of the seated king. Its Aramaic text has Zakkur, king of Hamath and Luash, tell how 'Bar-Hadad son of Hazael, king of Aram' gathered sixteen (or seventeen) kings to besiege him in Hazrach, and how his god Baalshamayn answered him through seers: 'Do not fear, for I made you king, and I will stand with you and deliver you.'
When was Zakkur Stele discovered?
It was found in 1903 by Henri Pognon, French consul and Assyriologist, at Tell Afis (Hazrach / Hadrach), Idlib Governorate, Syria.
Where is Zakkur Stele today?
Louvre Museum, Paris (AO 8185).
Which Bible verses does Zakkur Stele relate to?
2 Kings 13:3, 2 Kings 13:24-25, Zechariah 9:1.
Related discoveries
- הֲדַדHazael Booty Inscriptions (Arslan Tash Ivory and Samos Horse Frontlet)Luxury goods marked 'for our lord Hazael', carried off as plunder across the ancient world
- בֵּית דָּוִדTel Dan SteleAramean victory inscription naming the 'House of David'
- מָצוֹרTell es-Safi/Gath: Hazael's Siege TrenchA 2-km ditch and burnt city marking the Aramean destruction of Gath
- שַׁעַרTel Dan Iron Age Gate ComplexThe stone gate, plaza and 'seat of judgment' where the Tel Dan Stele was reused
- מֶלֶךְ אֲרָםShalmaneser III's Annals of 841 BCEThe Calah bull and marble-slab texts recording Hazael's defeat and Jehu's tribute
- גָּלְיָתGath (Tell es-Safi): Goliath's HometownThe 2005 ostracon with Goliath-like names and Hazael's siege trench