King Menahem of Israel

The King of Israel Menahem Pays Huge Tribute to Assyria

Tiglath-pilesar III made his move northward and then westward along the Fertile Crescent, his invincible army met little resistance, and one city after another became a vassal (tributary) to the Assyrians. As he journeyed southward he came to Samaria and its large walls that King Omri had built a century earlier. Israel surrendered without a fight. Israel�s king, Menahem, was able to pay off the Assyrians for a huge sum of money 1,000 talents of silver.

2 Kings 15:19-20 "Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control. And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land."

The annals of Assyria reads:

"I received tribute from Menahem of Samaria�Like a bird, alone he fled and submitted to me."

King Menahem of Israel gathered this huge sum of money by collecting it from 60,000 of his wealthiest citizens, 50 shekels each. This intense taxation was enough money to buy a small home with a parcel of land.

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2 Kings 15:19 [And] Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. ate the area. The prophet Amos wrote some powerful words in " fallen is the virgin of Israel".