The 5th Babylonian dynasty (about 1046 1024 B.c.) consisted of three kings whose full time of reigning was 21 years and five months. It has been called the "Sea-land° dynasty, be cause it is thought probable that the Chaldeans about the head of the Persian Gulf were the occupants of the throne. At least, it is prob able that the country was in political confusion during the life of this dynasty.
The 6th dynasty (about 1024-1003 s.c.) like its predecessor, had just three kings, cover ing 20 years and three months, of whose acts very little is known.
A gap of about 100 years is found at this place in our sources, a part of which is attrib uted to an Elamite dynasty of one king who ruled six years.
Assyrian history likewise has a gap of more than 100 years (1070-950 B.c.). The (Synchro nous History' leaves us in the dark in this period.
Second Period — Babylonia: 8th Dynas ty, 996-815 B.C. Assyria about 930-783 B.C.— The 8th dynasty of Babylon is sup posed to have been native Babylonian, and oc cupied the throne from about 996 to ca. 815 B.c. The kings who ruled in' Babylon during these 200 years fought a losing battle with the As syrians, for in almost every clash the Assyrian was victorious. Though many of the names of the early kings of this dynasty are lost, we know those of the kings who waged war with Assyria during the larger portion of the life of the dynasty. With this dynasty the (Synchro nous History) closes.
The Assyrian records, the
illustration presents four of the five reliefs on one of the four sides of the famous Black Obe lisk of Shalmaneser III. These four represent the tribute paid by four foreign countries to the Assyrian king. The inscription over the first relief reads: (Tribute of Siia of the land of Guzan, silver, gold"; over the second: 'Trib ute of Jehu, son of Omri, silver'; over the third:
of the land of Mutsri, double humped dromedaries': over the fourth: (Trib ute of Merodach-abil-utsur of the land of the Sukhites.' These four reliefs and inscriptions are only the first of four, the other three being found on the other three sides of the obelisk. Shalmaneser's son, Shamshi-Adad V (823-810 B.c.), succeeded him on the throne, and rescued the kingdom from a rebellion which had been stirred up by a brother. His only notable con quest was over Babylon under command of King Marduk-balatsu-ikbi.
The next king of Assyria was Adad-nirari IV (810-781 a.c.), son and successor of his father. His was a prosperous reign, reaching to Tyre, Sidon, Palestine and Philistia. Even Mare, king of Damascus, yielded submission to his sway.
As in Babylonia, so the next rulers in As syria, three in number, amounted to little.
Assyrian Supremacy: Tiglathpileser IV, Babylonian Subjection.— Assyna's three lethargic rulers between 783 and 745 left no records that deserve mention. But their great successor, Tiglathpileser IV (745-727 s.c.), re deemed the ancient reputation of Assyria. This new king, although a usurper, revolutionized the policy and methods of the Assyrian empire. He pushed out the boundaries of Assyria far ther than any predecessor on the throne. He completely subdued Syria, Palestine and Philistia. According to his own records he, more than any other Assyrian monarch, came into close contact with the Hebrews. The Hebrew monarchies were subservient to his sway. He mentions Menahem, Pekah and Hoshea, kings of the northern kingdom, and Uzziah and Ahaz, kings of the southern king dom. To him also is to be attributed the policy deportation of captives from a given dis trict, and importation into that same district of peoples from distant districts, in order thereby to prevent the possibility of uprisings and re bellion. He also inaugurated a kind of local self-government, or provincial districts, as parts of his administrative policy, thus making a de cided advance over the reigns of his prede cessors.