SHALMANESER, or Salmanasar, King of Assyria; he succeeded Tiglath-pileser, and had Sennacherib for his Successor: He began to reign in the Year of the World 3276, reigned fourteen Years, and died in 3290. It is very probable ‘tis he who is call’d Enemessar 2 Kings xvii. 3. Tob. i. 2. Hos. x. 14.in the Greek of Tobit, and Shalman in Hosea: Here is what the Scripture tells us of Shalmaneser. This Prince came into Palestine, subdued the Kingdom of Samaria, and obliged Hoshea the Son of Elah to pay him Tribute. Hoshea continued in Subjection to Shalmaneser for three Years a; but in the third Year, being weary of paying Tribute, he took secret Measures with So King of Egypt, to deliver himself out of this Subjection. When Shalmaneser knew this, he brought an Army against him, ravaged the whole Country of Samaria, besieged Hoshea in his capital City; and notwithstanding his long Resistance, (for he held out three Years1) he took the City, put Hoshea into Bonds, carry’d away the People beyond the Euphrates; and thus he ruin’d the City and Kingdom of Samaria, which had subsisted for two hundred and fifty-four Years, from the Year of the World 3030, to the Year 3283, before Christ 717, and before the Vulgar Era 721. Tobit was of the Number of those Captives that Tob. i. 14.were carry’d away by Shalmaneser, but afterwards got into the good Graces of this Prince, who gave him Liberty to do what he pleas’d, and to live where he would: He even made him his Purveyor, according to the Greek, which was an Officer to furnish Provisions to the King’s Houshold. This is all we know of Shalmaneser. His Successor was Sennacherib, whom we have spoken of already.
But besides what we know from the Scripture concerning Shalmaneser, profane Authors tell us,2 that this Prince made War also with the Tyrians. Eluleus King of Tyre, seeing the Philistines were much weaken’d by the War which they had with Hezekiah King of Judah, took this Opportunity of reducing to his Obedience again the City of Gath, which had revolted from him some time before. The Gittites, fearing the Power of the King of Tyre, had recourse to Shalmaneser, who marched with all his Forces against the Tyrians. At his Approach the City of Sidon, otherwise Ace, afterwards Ptolemais, and now Acre, and the other maritime Cities of Phenicia, which ‘till then were subject to the Phenicians, shook off this Yoke, and submitted themselves to Shalmaneser.
But the Tyrians, with only twelve Ships, having in a Sea-fight defeated the united Fleet of the Assyrians and Phenicians, acquired by this Victory so great a Reputation at Sea, and became so formidable, that Shalmaneser durst no more engage with them by Sea: He withdrew therefore into his own Dominions, but left a great Part of his Army to form the Siege of Tyre. But when the Besiegers made but a slow Progress, by reason of the brave Resistance of the Besieged, the Troops of Shalmaneser stopt up the Aqueducts, and cut the Pipes that brought the Water into the City, which brought the Tyrians to the last Extremity. To remedy this Scarcity of Water, the Tyrians began to dig Wells in their City, and, by means of this Assistance, they held out well enough for five Years longer; and in the mean time, Shalmaneser happening to die, they were then deliver’d of their Siege. Usher places this Siege of Tyre in the Year of the World 3287, before Jesus Christ 713, before the Vulgar Era 717.
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