Shalmaneser V succeeded Tiglath-Pileser III and ruled for only five years. Biblical and Mesopotamian evidence associates his reign with the siege of Samaria after King Hoshea ceased paying tribute and sought Egyptian assistance. Samaria fell near the end of Shalmaneser's reign or very early in that of Sargon II, making the precise assignment of the conquest historically debated.
Ancient Assyrian Ruler
Shalmaneser V
Ruler at a Glance
Reign
726-722 BC
Alternate Names
Shalmaneser V|Ululayu
Biblical Name
Shalmaneser
Period
Neo-Assyrian Empire
Father
Tiglath-Pileser III
Predecessor
Tiglath-Pileser III
Successor
Sargon II
Biography
Gallery
Historical Significance
His reign marks the destruction of the independent northern kingdom of Israel. The transition to Sargon II complicates the question of which Assyrian king completed the capture of Samaria.
Major Events
Revolt of Hoshea of Israel Siege of Samaria Campaigns in the Levant Death or overthrow during the siege period
Building Projects
No extensive royal building program is securely known from his short reign.
Death and Burial
He died or was deposed in 722 BC under circumstances that remain unclear. Sargon II then took the throne.
Biblical Significance
Shalmaneser is explicitly named as the Assyrian king against whom Hoshea rebelled. He invaded Israel and besieged Samaria for three years. The biblical narrative then states that the king of Assyria captured the city; Assyrian records of Sargon II also claim the conquest, so historians debate the exact division of responsibility.