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Published on July 14, 2016
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III at the British Museum
writtenbyOsamaS.M.Amin
was attending an event at the Royal College of Physicians of London in early March
2016, and I had a plenty of time to spare. One of my targets was, of course, the
British Museum. Two years ago, Jan van der Crabben (founder and CEO of the
Ancient History Encyclopedia) asked me to dra a blogarticle about the Black Obelisk
of Shalmaneser III, but I lacked detailed and high-quality images of all aspects of the
obelisk. Nowadays, Im equipped with a Nikon D750 full-frame camera and incredible
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lenses. So lets spend some time looking at the obelisk and enjoy its wonderful
artisticscenes.
The obelisk lies at the heart of Room 6 of the Ground Floor. The overall surrounding
lighting is unfortunately scarce, but who cares, my camera can overcome this very
easily! Remember, no /ash photography is allowed.
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The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III at Room 6 of the Ground Floor of the British Museum,
London. We can see side A (right, beginning of the scenes) and side D (le, end of the scenes).
Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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In December 1846, while working with his excavation team at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu
or biblical Calah), located in northern Mesopotamia in present-day Iraq, Sir Austen
Henry Layard discovered the obelisk. It was in a perfect state of preservation and is
still considered the only complete Assyrian obelisk ever found. It was later on
transferred to the British Museum (BM Big number 118885;Registration Number
1848,1104.1).
The obelisk is a black limestone stela or a monument. It was erected in the year 825
BCE within the courtyard of the so-called Central Building within Kalhu (the
Assyrian capital at that time) as a public monument during a civil war and turbulence .
The obelisk is 197.48 cm in height, 81.91 cm height (of plinth), and 45.08 cm in width.
The top was made in the shape of a ziggurat.
The ziggurat-shaped top of the Black Obelisk, sides A (right) and D (le). Note the Akkadian
cuneiform inscriptions. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
The obelisk commemorates 31 years of military campaigns conducted by the Assyrian
king Shalmaneser III (reigned858-824 BCE). The obelisk has foursides. On each side,
we can see vevertically arranged registers (or scenes). Each scene tells a story about a
subdued king or ruler, who is paying tribute and prostrating before the victorious
Assyrian king Shalmaneser III; however, twoout of the vekings were depicted on the
registers. Each individual scene narrates horizontally, using Akkadian cuneiform
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inscriptions and carved reliefs, from one side to another (in an anti-clockwise
manner), wrapping around the obelisk. Therefore, there are vestories from top to
bottom, in 20 registers.
There are cuneiform the inscriptions carved on the base of the Obelisk. This is side A. Note the
damages incurred during the transportation of the Obelisk. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
The obelisk became historically important because it depicts and documents Jehu of
the House of Omri (king of Israel), and therefore, a biblical gure.
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Jehu (son of Omri), king of Israel, bows and prostrates before Shalmaneser III. The Assyrian
king is accompanied by four attendants. Jehu is thought to be a biblical 6gure. Detail of the
Black Obelisk, Side A, register 2. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Jehu (son of Omri), king of Israel, bows and prostrates before the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III
(not shown). An Assyrian attendant stands behind Jehu. Jehu is thought to be a biblical 6gure.
Detail of the Black Obelisk, Side A, register 2. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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I will describe each horizontal scene (from top to bottom), not the individual sides
separately.
Scene 1: King Shalmaneser III receives tribute from Sua of Gilzanu (of modern day
north-west Iran): Shalmaneser says that I received tribute from Sua the Gilzanean,
silver, gold, tin, bronze, cauldrons, the stas of the kings hand, horses (and) twohumped camels.
Side A: King Shalmaneser III holds a bow and receives tribute from Sua the Gilzanean (who
bows before the king). Two attendants stand behind the king. The king looks at his 6eld marshal
and another unnamed o7cial.Symbols of gods Assur (right) and Ishtar (le) are seen before the
kings head. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side B: There are two Assyrian o7cials, a foreign groom, and a horse with rich trappings
(which represent the horses for which Gilzanu was famous). Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side C: Two men bring two-humped (Bactrian) camels from Gilzanu. Photo Osama S. M.
Amin.
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Side D: There are 6ve tribute-bearers bringing silver, gold, tin, bronze cauldrons (and) the
sta5s of the kings hand from Gilzanu. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Scene 2: King Shalmaneser III receives tribute from Iaua ( Jehu) of the House of Omri
(ancient Israel): Shalmaneser says that I received tribute from Iaua, son of Omri.
Notice that one can see silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden tureen, golden pails, tin,
the stas of the kings hand and a spear.
Side A: King Shalmaneser III stands beneath a parasol (held by an attendant) and receives
tribute from Iaua of the House of Omri (in the year 841 BCE). This is King Jehu of Israel, who
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appears in the Bible (2 Kings 9-10). An attendant faces the king and holds a 9y whisk. There
are two guards at both sides.Symbols of gods Assur (le) and Ishtar (right) are seen before the
kings head. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side B: There are two Assyrian o7cials and three tribute-bearers from Israel; they hold silver,
gold gold vessels tin Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side C: There are 6ve more tribute-bearers from Israel bringing a gold bowl, a golden tureen,
gold vessels, gold pails, tin, the sta5s of the kings hand (and) spears. Photo Osama S. M.
Amin.
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Side D: There are 6ve tribute-bearers from Israel holding silver, gold, a gold bowl, a gold
tureen, gold vessels, gold pails (and) tin. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Scene 3: A parade of exotic animals brought from the land of Musri (probably Egypt);
there is no depiction of the subdued king or ruler, whose name was not mentioned).
Shalmaneser says that I received tribute from Muri, two-humped camels, a water
bualo, a rhinoceros, an antelope, female elephants, female monkeys and apes.
Side A: Attendants bring tribute from Musri in the form of two-humped camels. Unlike the
upper registers on side A, neither Shalmaneser III nor the subdued ruler appear. Photo
Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side B: This register depicts exotic animals from Musri in the form of a river-ox, a rhinoceros
(and) an antelope. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side C: There are female elephants, female monkeys (and) apes. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side D: There are more monkeys with their keepers. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Scene 4; Marduk-apla-usur the Suhean (from the mid-Euphrates area of modern-day
Syria and Iraq), sends animals and other tribute to the Shalmaneser III (the former was
not depicted on the Obelisk). Shalmaneser says that I received tribute from Mardukapla-usur, the Suhean, silver, gold, pails, ivory, spears, byssus, garments with multicoloured trim and linen.
Side A: There are two lions and a stag from Marduk-apla-usur the Suhean (probably for the
royal hunting park). Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side B: There are four tribute-bearers from Suhu carrying silver, gold byssus, garments with
multi-colored trim and linen. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side C: We can see 6ve tribute-bearers bringing silver, gold, gold pails, ivory [tusks] (and)
spears from the land of Suhu. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side D: Four tribute-bearers were depicted carrying silver, gold, gold pails, ivory [tusks] (and)
spears from the land of Suhu. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Scene 5; Qarparunda (modern-day Antakya region of Turkey) the Patinean sends precious
metals, ivory and ebony. Shalmaneser says that I received tribute from Qarparunda the
Patinean, silver, gold, tin, bronze compound, bronze cauldrons, ivory and ebony. Note that
king himself was not shown in the in the scene.
Side A: Tribute from Qarparunda the Patinean in the form of silver, gold, tin, fast bronze
ivory [tusks] (and) ebony. Qarparunda was not depicted on the scene. Photo Osama S. M.
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Amin.
Side B: There are two Assyrian o7cials introducing three tribute-bearers from the land of
Patina. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
Side C: We can recognize 6ve tribute-bearers bringing gold and silver vessels and a bronze
cauldron from the land of Patina. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
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Side D: Four tribute-bearers were depicted holding gold and silver vessels and a bronze
cauldron, which were brought from the land of Patina. Photo Osama S. M. Amin.
The following were used to dra this article:
1. Images from a personal visit to the British Museum and the British Museum website
description of the Obelisk.
2. Jonathan Taylor, The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, Nimrud: Materialities of
Assyrian Knowledge Production, The Nimrud Project at Oracc.org.
3. The Bible in the British Museum.
4. P. Kyle McCarters article on Yaw, Son of Omri, which is accessible through JSTOR.
I hope I have been successful in conveying the images of this obelisk to you! As an
Iraqi citizen, I would like to sincerely thank all of those who were involved in the
excavation, transportation, preservation, protection, and the display of this Black
Obelisk. This history belongs to the whole world and humanity, not only to Iraq. Viva
Mesopotamia, the Cradle of Civilization!
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Osama graduated from Baghdad University, College of Medicine and was the valedictorian
student in internal medicine. He got membership diplomas of the Royal Colleges of
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Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and
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Association. Currently, he is a consultant neurologist at Shorsh Military General Hospital.
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and 5 self-assessment books for the membership diploma of the Royal Colleges of Physicians
of the United Kingdom and Ireland. He is an associate editor, guest editor, reviewer and
former editor-in-chief in several international peer-reviewed internal medicine and
neurology journals. Osama is very interested in Mesopotamian history and always tries to
take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the
world. He is a contributor/team member of "Medical MasterClass," the online educational
arm of the Royal College of Physicians of London, UK.
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