Historical Background

Hamath was an ancient city long before the period of the Israelite monarchy. During the early Iron Age, political communities in northern Syria developed after the collapse of the great Late Bronze Age powers. Some rulers of Hamath used monumental inscriptions written in the Anatolian language Luwian, while Aramaic later became prominent. This history warns against describing Hamath as exclusively Aramean from its beginning. Biblical traditions refer to Hamath as a northern landmark and describe Toi, its king, sending congratulations to David after a victory over Hadadezer of Zobah. The precise dating and independent confirmation of that episode remain uncertain.