Israelite Kings in Non-Biblical, Non-Israelite Inscriptions

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Fact or fiction? The chart below contains archaeological evidence—in the form of texts—for the existence of Israelite kings mentioned in the Bible. It is not a complete list: There are additional references to Omri and Hezekiah, for example. Moreover, we have included only references from non-Israelite sources, who have less reason to exaggerate Israel’s importance.

Author Baruch Halpern writes: “What is striking about this list is that the kings of the early period are mentioned because of their strength, their ability to project power abroad. For the later kings, after Jehoram, the waning of power and the fact of invasion lead to their being mentioned; one possible exception is Uzziah, though Uzziah’s attestation by Tiglath-Pileser III is subject to question. Thus biblical traditions about strong kings in the eighth-seventh centuries B.C.E. are essentially correct.

“The picture of the ninth century B.C.E. in biblical records is also largely substantiated, right down to the revolt of the petty kingdom of Moab under Mesha and the campaign of Shishak [see victory stela] against Judah.

“Of course, there are errors in the Bible: Pekah cannot have reigned 20 years; Ben-Hadad of Damascus in 1 Kings 20 and 2 Kings 6 is likely displaced from the end of the ninth century B.C.E. to the middle, and he is probably confused, in 2 Kings 8, with Hadadezer. But in comparison with the overall picture, the errors are relatively few.”

Kings	Source	Text
United Monarchy
David (c. 1003–971 B.C.E.)	(1) Tel Dan stela (9th century B.C.E.)	(1) “house of David”
	(2) Stela of the Moabite king Mesha (c. 849–820 B.C.E.)	(2) “house of David”
Northern Kingdom of Israel
Omri (c. 885–874 B.C.E.)	(1) Stela of the Moabite king Mesha (c. 849–820 B.C.E)	(1) “As for Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years…but I have triumphed over him and over his house, while Israel hath perished for ever.”
	(2) Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (c. 858–824 B.C.E.)	(2) “In the 18th year of my rule…I received the tribute of the inhabitants of Tyre, Sidon, and of Jehu, son of Omri.”
	(3) Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	(3) “The Land of Omri (Israel)…all its inhabitants and their possessions I led to Assyria.”
	(4) Annals of the Assyrian king Sargon II (c. 721–705 B.C.E.)	(4) “I conquered…all of the Land of Omri (Israel).”
Ahab (c. 874–853 B.C.E.)	Kurkh Monolith of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (c. 858–824 B.C.E.)	“[Karkara] brought along to help him…10,000 foot soldiers of Ahab, the Israelite.”
Jehoram (c. 852–841 B.C.E.)^a	Tel Dan stela (9th century B.C.E.)	“[Jeho]rm”
Jehu (c. 841–814 B.C.E.)	Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (c. 858–824 B.C.E.)	“The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri; I received from him silver, gold…tin, a staff for a king.”
Joash (c. 805–790 B.C.E.)	Tell Al-Rimah stela of Adad-Nirari III (c. 810–873 B.C.E.)	“Joash (Ia-’a–su) the Samarian”
Menahem (c. 740 B.C.E.)	Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	“As for Menahem, I overwhelmed him like a snowstorm and he…fled like a bird.”
Pekah (c. 735 B.C.E.)	Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	“The Land of Omri…all its inhabitants and their possessions I led to Assyria. They overthrew their king Pekah and I placed Hoshea as king over them.”
Hoshea (c. 730–722 B.C.E.)	Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	“They overthrew their king Pekah and I placed Hoshea as king over them.”
Southern Kingdom of Judah
Ahaziah (c. 841 B.C.E.)^b	Tel Dan stela (9th century B.C.E.)	“[Ahaz]yahu”
Uzziah? (early 8th century B.C.E.)	Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	“[I received] the tribute of the kin[gs…A]zriau (Uzziah?) from Iuda (Judah).”
Ahaz (c. 740–725 B.C.E.)	Annals of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (c. 744–727 B.C.E.)	“I received the tribute of…Ahaz (Ia-u-ha-zi) of Judah.”
Hezekiah (c. 725–696 B.C.E.)	(1) Taylor Prism of the Assyrian king Sennacherib (c. 704–681 B.C.E.)	(1) “As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke…”
	(2) Bull Inscription of Sennacherib	(2) “I laid waste the large district of Judah and made the overbearing and proud Hezekiah, its king, bow in submission.”
	(3) Nebi Yebus Slab of Sennacherib	(3) “I…put the straps of my yoke upon Hezekiah, its (Judah’s) king.”
Manasseh (c. 696–642 B.C.E.)	(1) Prism B of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (c. 680–669 B.C.E.)	(1) “I called up the kings…on the other side of the Euphrates…Manasseh, king of Judah.”
	(2) Rassam Cylinder of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (c. 668–633 B.C.E.)	(2) “Manasseh, king of Judah”
Jehoiachin (c. 597–560 B.C.E.)	Ration documents of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 605–562 B.C.E.)	“10 (sila of oil) to Jehoichin ([Ia]-’-kin), king of Judah (Ia[…]).”