A shaft of black limestone that describes the military successes of Shalmaneser III of Assyria during the first 31 years of his reign. Shalmaneser III ruled from 858 to 824 BC.
The obelisk is six and a half feet (2 meters) high and smoothed on all four sides. It has five rows of shallow reliefs with inscriptions between them written in cuneiform. The pictures show tribute being paid from five parts of Shalmaneser's Empire.
Of special interest to Bible students is the second row of reliefs, which shows King Jehu of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 9–10) bowing before Shalmaneser. Thirteen Israelites are with him, bearing tribute. The inscription identifies Jehu and lists the tribute as including silver and gold bowls and vases, tin, and a royal staff. This relief is the only contemporary image of an Israelite king. Jehu is shown wearing a long fringed cloak, a pointed soft cap, and a short rounded beard. His payment of tribute dates to 841 BC, but there is no mention of it in the Bible.