Footnote 5 – Scholars’ Corner: Syrian Inscriptions Published in Biblical Archeologist Assist in Understanding Hebrew Bible

Cross explained to BAR that there are very few artistic materials from the 11th and 10th centuries B.C. with which to compare the statue. And the historic materials are not altogether clear. The best evidence on which Millard and Bordreuil rely, says Cross, is the name of the father of the governor commemorated by the statue. This father is named Shamash-nuri, who was the Assyrian eponym for 866 B.C. Cross points out, however, that repetition in names in successive generations of a dynasty is characteristic of the Aramean dynasties of this general period. In the 9th and 10th centuries, names were repeated wildly. Accordingly, the Shamash-nuri mentioned in the statue may well be the great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather of the Shamash-nuri mentioned in the eponym lists. Accordingly, Cross does not consider the historical or artistic evidence decisive.