View source for Tiglath-Pileser III

[[File:Tilglath pileser iii.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Tiglath-Pileser III: [[stela]] from the walls of his palace ([[British Museum]], [[London]]).]]

'''Tiglath-Pileser III''' (cuneiform: {{Script/Cuneiform|7|𒆪𒋾𒀀𒂍𒊹𒊏}} <small>TUKUL.TI.A.É.ŠÁR.RA</small>; [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]: ''Tukultī-apil-Ešarra'', "my trust is in the [[Ashur (god)|son of the Ešarra]]"; {{hebrew Name|תִּגְלַת פַּלְאֶסֶר|Tīglat Pīl’eser|Tīgelaṯ Pīle’eser}}) was a prominent king of [[Assyria]] in the eighth century BCE (ruled 745–727&nbsp;BCE)<ref name=Eponym>{{cite web |url=http://www.livius.org/li-ln/limmu/limmu_1c.html |title=Assyrian Eponym List (2/3) |publisher=Livius.org |first=Jona |last=Lendering |authorlink=Jona Lendering |year=2006}}</ref>{{sfn|Tadmor|1994|p= 29}} who introduced advanced civil, military, and political systems into the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]].<ref name=Healy17>{{harvnb|Healy|1991|p=17}}</ref>{{sfn|Frye|Wolfram|Dietz|2016}}

Tiglath-Pileser III seized the Assyrian throne during a civil war and killed the royal family. He made sweeping changes to the Assyrian government, considerably improving its efficiency and security. The Assyrian army, already the greatest fighting force in the world since the time of [[Ashur-uballit I]] (1366–1330 BCE), now became Assyria's first professional [[standing army]].{{sfn|Howard|2002|p=36}}{{sfn|Schwartzwald|2014|page=24}}

Tiglath-Pileser III subjugated much of the [[Near East]] region; to the south, his fellow [[Mesopotamians]] in [[Babylonia]] and [[Chaldea]], and further south still, the [[Arabs]], [[Majan (civilization)|Magan]], [[Meluhha]], and [[Dilmun]]ites of the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. In the south west, [[Israel]], [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], [[Philistia]], [[Samarra]], [[Moab]], [[Edom]], the [[Suteans]] and [[Nabatea]] fell. To the north, [[Urartu]], [[Armenia]] and [[Scythia]] in the [[Caucasus Mountains]], [[Crimea#History|Cimmeria]] by the [[Black Sea]], and [[Nairi]] were subjugated, and in the north west much of eastern and south western [[Asia Minor]], including the [[Hittites]], [[Phrygia]], [[Cilicia]], [[Commagene]], [[Tabal]], [[Corduene]] and [[Caria]]. In the west, the [[Greeks]] of [[Cyprus]] and [[Aram (biblical region)|Aram]] (modern [[Syria]]), and the [[Mediterranean]] City States of [[Phoenicia]]/[[Caanan]] were subjugated. To the east he subjugated [[Persia]], [[Median Empire|Media]], [[Gutium]], [[Mannea]], [[Cissia (area)|Cissia]] and [[Elam]], and later in his reign, Tiglath-Pileser III was crowned king in Babylonia.

Tiglath-Pileser III discouraged revolts against Assyrian rule with the use of [[forced migration|forced deportations]] of thousands of people all over the empire. He is one of the most successful military commanders in world history, conquering most of the world known to the Assyrians before his death.

==Origins==
[[File:Tiglath-pileser III, an alabaster bas-relief from the king's central palace at Nimrud, Mesopotamia..JPG|thumb|Tiglath-pileser III, an alabaster bas-relief from the king's central palace at Nimrud, Mesopotamia.]]

Formerly the governor of [[Kalhu]] (Biblical [[Calah]]/[[Nimrud]])<ref name=Healy17 /> and a general, the usurper '''Pulu''' assumed his Assyrian [[throne name|throne-name]] (Tiglath-Pileser) from two more-legitimate predecessors. He described himself as a son of [[Adad-nirari III]] in his inscriptions, but the accuracy of this claim remains uncertain. He seized the throne in the midst of civil war on 13 ''Ayaru'', 745&nbsp;BCE.<ref name=Eponym /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Babylonia_and_Assyria |encyclopedia=The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia |title=Babylonia and Assyria |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127120239/http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Babylonia_and_Assyria |archivedate=2008-01-27}}</ref> As a result of Pulu seizing the throne in a bloody ''[[coup d'état]]'', the old royal family was slaughtered,<ref name=Healy17 /> and the new monarch set Assyria on the path to expand the [[Imperialism|empire]] in order to ensure the survival of the kingdom.<ref name=Healy17 />

[[File:Tiglath-pileser III stands over an enemy, bas-relief from the Central Palace at Nimrud..JPG|thumb|Tiglath-pileser III stands over an enemy, bas-relief from the Central Palace at Nimrud.]]

<blockquote>
"A mutilated brick inscription states that he is the son of Adad-nirari (III); however, the Assyrian King List makes Tiglath-pileser (III) the son of Ahur-nirari (V), son of Adad-nirari (III). This is quite a discrepancy for the King list places Adad-nirari III four monarchs before Tiglath-pileser's reign and depicts Ashur-nirari (V) as both his father and immediate predecessor upon the throne. The list goes on to relate that Shalmaneser III (IV), and Ashur-dan III (III) were brothers, being the sons of Adad-nirari (III). Ashur-nirari (V) is also said to be a son of Adad-nirari (III), implying brotherhood with Shalmaneser III (IV), and Ashur-dan III (III). The Assyrian records contain very little information concerning Adad-nirari (III) and nothing about Shalmaneser III (IV) or Ashur-dan III (III). Significantly, an alabaster stele was discovered in 1894 at Tell Abta displaying the name Tiglath-pileser imprinted over that of Shalmaneser (IV), a successor of Adad-Nirari (III) and the third sovereign prior to Tiglath-pileser (III). This find coupled with the aforementioned absence of information relative to Shalmaneser III (IV) and Ashur-dan III (III) strongly implies that Tiglath-pileser was a usurper to the throne and that he destroyed the records of his three immediate predeccessors—Ashur-nirari (V), Shalmaneser III (IV), and Ashur-dan III (III)."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nolen Jones|first1=Dr. Floyd|title=Chronology of the Old Testament|publisher=Master Books|page=150}}</ref>
</blockquote>

More so it was in Babylon that he was referred to as Pulu and his son as Ululayu.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nemet-Nejat|first1=Karen Rhea|title=Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia |date=1998 |page=38}}</ref> Pulu and both his sons taking up Assyrian names is another suggestion that they were foreigners who had usurped the crown of Assyria at the revolt of Kalhu. The identification of Pul ([http://biblehub.com/2_kings/15-19.htm 2 Kings 15:19]) with Tiglath-Pileser III has been bolstered by the discovery and interpretation of the [https://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/arc/incirli/index.htm Phoenician inscription from Incirli], line 5 of which reads: פאל מל[ך] אשר רב "Pu'lu, the great king of Assyria".<ref name=Kaufman>{{harvnb|Kaufman|2007|p=7–26}}</ref>

==Reign==
[[File:Tiglath-Pileser II - 1889 drawing.jpg|thumb|Tiglath-Pileser III besieging a town]]

Assyrian power in the [[Near East]] greatly increased as the result of Tiglath-Pileser's military reforms (see "[[Tiglath-Pileser III#Reforms|Reforms]]" below) and of his campaigns of conquest. Upon ascending the throne, he claimed (in Annal 9, which dates to 745&nbsp;BCE, his first [[regnal year]]) to have [[annexation|annexed]] Babylonia, from "Dur-(Kuri)galzu, Sippar of Shamash, ... the cities [of Ba]bylonia up to the Uqnu river [by the shore of the Lo]wer [Sea]"{{sfn|Tadmor|1994|p=43}} (which referred to the Persian Gulf), and subsequently placed his [[eunuch]] over them as governor. Also in his first year of reign he defeated the powerful kingdom of [[Urartu]] ([[Armenia]]), whose hegemony under the rulership of [[Sarduri II]] had extended to Asia Minor, northern Mesopotamia, western Iran and Syria; there he found unrivalled horses for his war-chariots.<ref>{{harvnb|Luckenbill|1927|p=84}}.</ref> He also defeated the [[Medes]] before making war on and conquering the [[Neo-Hittite]]s, [[Syria]] and [[Phoenicia]]. He took [[Arpad (Syria)|Arpad]] in 740&nbsp;BCE after three years of siege, annexed it as a province (over which he placed one of his eunuchs as governors), and subjected [[Hamath]] to tribute. Assyrian inscriptions record in 740&nbsp;BCE, the fifth year of his reign, a victory over Azariah ([[Uzziah of Judah|Uzziah]]), king of [[kingdom of Judah|Judah]], whose achievements appear in 2 Chronicles 26. He also subjugated Damascus, the [[Arabs]] under Queen [[Zabibe]], [[Menahem]] of [[Israel]] and [[Sam'al]]'s king Azriyau, who all paid him tribute.<ref name=Roux>Roux, Georges. ''Ancient Iraq''</ref> In 737 and 736&nbsp;BCE he turned his attention again to Iran, conquering the [[Medes]] and [[Persian people|Persians]] and occupying a large part of Iran.<ref name=Roux /> According to the royal inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser many of the inhabitants were enslaved and deported to other parts of the Assyrian empire, as commonly done by his predecessors. At sieges, captives were slaughtered, and their bodies raised on stakes and displayed before the city (''illustration, right'').

In October 729&nbsp;BCE, Tiglath-Pileser assumed total control of Babylon, capturing the Babylonian king [[Nabu-mukin-zeri]] (ABC 1 Col.1:21) and having himself crowned as "King Pulu of Babylon."

==Biblical account==
[[File:Deportation of Jews by Assyrians.svg|thumb|250px|Map showing Tiglath's conquests (green) and deportation of Israelites. Tiglath-Pileser III discouraged revolts against Assyrian rule with the use of forced deportations of thousands of people all over the empire.{{sfn|Healy|1991|p=21}}]]
Biblical records describe how Tiglath-Pileser III exacted 1,000 [[Talent (measurement)|talents]] of silver as [[tribute]] from King [[Menahem]] of the [[kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|Kingdom of Israel]] ([http://biblehub.com/2_kings/15-19.htm 2 Kings 15:19]) and later defeated his successor [[Pekah]] ([http://biblehub.com/2_kings/15-29.htm 2 Kings 15:29]).

Pekah had allied with [[Rezin]], king of the [[Arameans]] against [[Ahaz]] (known to the Assyrians as Yahu-khazi), of the [[Kingdom of Judah]], who responded by appealing for the Assyrian monarch's help with the [[Solomon's Temple|Temple]] gold and silver. Tiglath-Pileser answered swiftly. He first marched his army down the eastern Mediterranean coast, taking coastal cities all the way to Egypt. This cut off his enemies' access to the sea. Once this was achieved, he returned to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, destroyed their army, and deported the Reubenites, Gadites, and the people of Manasseh to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan river ([http://biblehub.com/1_chronicles/5-26.htm 1 Chron 5:26]). He then installed an Israelite puppet king, [[Hoshea]], (732–723 BCE) in the place of Pekah. He concluded this extensive campaign by marching north and west, ravaging Aramaea, seizing [[Damascus]], executing Rezin, and deporting the survivors to [[Al Karak|Kir]] ([http://biblehub.com/2_kings/16-9.htm 2 Kings 16:9]).

Beyond this, the Assyrian alliance was not beneficial to Ahaz ([http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/28-20.htm 2 Chron 28:20]).

==Reforms==
Upon ascending the throne, Tiglath-Pileser instituted several reforms to different sectors of the Assyrian state, which arguably revived Assyria's hegemony over the Near East.

The first of such reforms entailed thwarting the powers of the high Assyrian officials, which during the reigns of his predecessors had become excessive. Officials such as [[Shamshi-ilu]], who was ''[[commander in chief|turtanu]] (General)'' and a prominent official since the time of [[Adad-nirari III]], often led their own campaigns and erected their own commemorative [[stele|stelae]], often without mentioning the king at all.<ref>Shafer, A.T. (1998). ''The Carving of an Empire: Neo-Assyrian Monuments on the Periphery'', p.32–33</ref> Since his earliest inscriptions (and thus from the beginning of his reign), he gave regular mention of appointing [[eunuch]]s as governors of (newly conquered) provinces; this removed the threat of provincial rule becoming a [[dynasty|dynastic]] matter. He also sought to reduce the power of his officials by reducing the size of the provinces (in some cases the northern provinces were increased to include newly conquered territories), thus decreasing their resources, should they have desired to incite a revolt. Subsequently, there were more provinces, more governors (most of which were eunuchs), and less power per governor.

The second reform targeted the army. Instead of a largely native Assyrian army which normally campaigned only in the summer time, Tiglath-Pileser incorporated large numbers of conquered people into the army, thus adding a substantial foreign element. This force mainly comprised the light infantry, whereas the native Assyrians comprised the cavalry, heavy infantry, and charioteers. As a result of Tiglath-Pileser's military reforms, the Assyrian Empire was armed with a greatly expanded army which could campaign throughout the year. The addition of the cavalry and the chariot contingents to the army was mostly due to the steppe cultures lurking nearby to the north, which sometimes invaded their northern colonies, using mainly cavalry and primitive chariots.

==Legacy==
{{See also|Neo-Assyrian Empire}}
Tiglath-Pileser III's conquests and reforms led to the establishment of the [[Assyria|Neo-Assyrian Kingdom]] as a true empire. He built a royal palace in [[Kalhu]] (the biblical [[Calah]]/[[Nimrud]], the so-called "central palace"), later dismantled by [[Esarhaddon]]. He had his royal annals engraved across the [[bas-relief]]s depicting his military achievements on the sculptured slabs decorating his palace.

On his death he was succeeded by his son Ululayu, who took the name [[Shalmaneser V]] and further campaigned in the Levant, defeated [[Egypt]], and captured [[Samaria]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Ancient Near East}}
* [[Kings of Assyria]]
* [[Syro-Ephraimite War]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite encyclopedia |last=Frye |first=Richard N. |last2=Wolfram |first2=Th. von Soden |last3=Dietz |first3=O. Edzard
|date=15 April 2016 |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-55456/History-of-Mesopotamia |title=History of Mesopotamia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |ref=harv}}
* {{cite book |last=Healy |first=Mark |year=1991 |title=The Ancient Assyrians |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hodh6fgx-DMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn=1855321637  |publisher=Osprey |location=London |isbn=1-85532-163-7 |oclc=26351868 |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last=Howard |first=Michael |date=2002 |title=Transnationalism in Ancient and Medieval Societies: The Role of Cross-Border Trade and Travel |publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786468034 |page=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6QPWXrCCzBIC&pg=PA36&dq=%22Tiglath-Pileser+III%E2%80%8E%22+%22standing+army%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiynseP_dHLAhWESBQKHYZiAxgQ6AEIMTAD#v=onepage&q=%22Tiglath-Pileser%20III%E2%80%8E%22%20%22standing%20army%22&f=false 36] |ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal |last=Kaufman |first=Stephen A. |year=2007 |title=The Phoenician Inscription of the Incirli Trilingual: A Tentative Reconstruction and Translation |journal=MAARAV |volume=14 |number=2  |pages=7-26 |ref=harv}}
* {{cite book |last=Luckenbill |first=D. D. |year=1927  |title=Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia |volume=II |location=Chicago |ref=harv}}
* {{cite book |last=Tadmor |first=Hayim |year=1994 |title=The Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III, King of Assyria: Critical Edition, with Introductions, Translations, and Commentary |location=Jerusalem |publisher=Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last=Schwartzwald |first=Jack |date=2014  |title=The Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome: A Brief History |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0786478064 |page=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qHHzAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA24&dq=%22Tiglath-Pileser+III%E2%80%8E%22+%22first+standing+army%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC47u2_tHLAhWI0RQKHW6qDQ4Q6AEIJjAB#v=onepage&q=%22Tiglath-Pileser%20III%E2%80%8E%22%20%22first%20standing%20army%22&f=false 24] |ref=harv}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Kaplan |first=Yehuda |chapter=Recruitment of Foreign Soldiers into the Neo-Assyrian Army during the Reign of Tiglath-pileser III |editor-first=Mordechai |editor-last=Cogan |editor2-first=Dan`el |editor2-last=Kahn |title=Treasures on Camels' Humps: Historical and Literary Studies from the Ancient Near East Presented to Israel Eph'al |location=Jerusalem |publisher=Magnes Press |year=2008}}
* {{cite book |last=Saggs |first=H. |title=The Might that was Assyria |location=London |year=1984}}
* {{cite book |last=Tadmor |first=Hayim |first2=Shigeo |last2=Yamada  |year=2011  |title=The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744-727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726-722 BC), Kings of Assyria |url=http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/|publisher=Eisenbrauns |location=Winona Lake, IN |isbn=9781575062204 |oclc=748941760
}}

==External links==
*{{cite EB1911 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Tiglath-Pileser#III or IV |display=Tiglath-Pileser III of IV|volume=26 |page=968 |short=x}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-bef| before = [[Ashur-nirari V]]}}
{{S-ttl| title  = [[King of Assyria]]
       | years  = 745–727 BCE}}
{{S-aft| rows   = 2 | after  = [[Shalmaneser V]]}}
{{S-bef| before = [[Nabu-mukin-zeri]]}}
{{S-ttl| title  = [[Kings of Babylon|King of Babylon]]
       | years  = 729–727 BCE}}
{{S-end}}

{{Assyrian kings}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiglath-Pileser 03}}
[[Category:727 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Assyrian kings]]
[[Category:Babylonian kings]]
[[Category:Monarchs of the Hebrew Bible]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:8th-century BC rulers]]