Adad-nirari III
Encyclopedia
Adad-nirari III was King of Assyria from 811 to 783 BC. He was the son and successor of Shamshi-Adad V
, and was apparently quite young at the time of his accession, because for the first five years of his reign his mother Shammuramat
acted as regent, which may have given rise to the legend of Semiramis
. It is widely rejected that his mother acted as regent, but she was surprisingly influential for the time period.
Adad-nirari's youth, and the struggles his father had faced early in his reign, caused a serious weakening for the Assyrian rulership over Mesopotamia, and gave way to the ambitions of the most high officers, the governors and the local rulers.
According to Adad-nirari's inscriptions, he led several military campaigns with the purpose of regaining the strength Assyria enjoyed in the times of his grandfather, Shalmaneser III
. According to the eponym canon, he campaigned in all directions until the last of his 28 years of reign, and he was the builder of the temple of Nabu
at Nineveh
. Among his actions was a siege of Damascus
in the time of Ben-Hadad III
in 796 BCE, which led to the eclipse of the Aramaean Kingdom of Damascus and allowed the recovery of Israel under Jehoash
(who paid the Assyrian king tribute at this time) and Jeroboam II
. Additionally, he is thought by some to be the "King of Nineveh" who, upon receiving Jonah
's prophecy of forthcoming doom, dressed himself in sackcloth and ordered a fast throughout the city in a successful attempt to prevent it. (Jonah
3:6–9)
In spite of Adad-nirari's vigor, Assyria entered a several decades long period of weakness following his death.
Shamshi-Adad V
Shamshi-Adad V was the King of Assyria from 824 to 811 BC.-Biography:He was the son and successor of Shalmaneser III, the husband of Shammuramat , and the father of Adad-nirari III, who succeeded him as king....
, and was apparently quite young at the time of his accession, because for the first five years of his reign his mother Shammuramat
Shammuramat
Shammuramat or Sammur-amat was Queen of Assyria 811 BC–808 BC. The widow of King Shamshi-Adad V reigned for three years on the throne of Assyria...
acted as regent, which may have given rise to the legend of Semiramis
Semiramis
The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
. It is widely rejected that his mother acted as regent, but she was surprisingly influential for the time period.
Adad-nirari's youth, and the struggles his father had faced early in his reign, caused a serious weakening for the Assyrian rulership over Mesopotamia, and gave way to the ambitions of the most high officers, the governors and the local rulers.
According to Adad-nirari's inscriptions, he led several military campaigns with the purpose of regaining the strength Assyria enjoyed in the times of his grandfather, Shalmaneser III
Shalmaneser III
Shalmaneser III was king of Assyria , and son of the previous ruler, Ashurnasirpal II....
. According to the eponym canon, he campaigned in all directions until the last of his 28 years of reign, and he was the builder of the temple of Nabu
Nabu
Nabu is the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as the son of Marduk and his consort, Sarpanitum, and as the grandson of Ea. Nabu's consort was Tashmetum....
at Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
. Among his actions was a siege of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in the time of Ben-Hadad III
Ben-Hadad III
Bar-Hadad III or Ben-Hadad III was the son of Hazael, and succeeded him after his death as king of Aram Damascus. His succession is mentioned in II Kings 13:3, 24...
in 796 BCE, which led to the eclipse of the Aramaean Kingdom of Damascus and allowed the recovery of Israel under Jehoash
Jehoash of Israel
Jehoash , whose name means “Yahweh has given,” was a king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz. He was the 12th king of Israel and reigned for 16 years. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 801 BC – 786 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 798 BC – 782 BC...
(who paid the Assyrian king tribute at this time) and Jeroboam II
Jeroboam II
Jeroboam II was the son and successor of Jehoash, , and the fourteenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years according to 2 Kings . His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah and Uzziah , kings of Judah...
. Additionally, he is thought by some to be the "King of Nineveh" who, upon receiving Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
's prophecy of forthcoming doom, dressed himself in sackcloth and ordered a fast throughout the city in a successful attempt to prevent it. (Jonah
Book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It tells the story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah ben Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission...
3:6–9)
In spite of Adad-nirari's vigor, Assyria entered a several decades long period of weakness following his death.