Menahem King of Israel

2022-11-23

Menahem the son of Gadi slew Shallum who had assassinated Zachariah king of Israel. He became king and continued in the religion of Jeroboam son of Nebat. When he became king, he conquered the area that would not submit to him, and he did so in the cruelest of ways: “therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up” (2 Kings 15:16).

Pul king of Assyria came against Israel, but Menahem exacted a tax from the rich men to pay tribute, and the Assyrian king went back to his own land. Menahem’s tribute to Pul is recorded in The Annals of Tiglath-pileser. He is mentioned with many other western kings in this tribute list.

This is a part of the Kings of Israel series. To go back to the table of contents, proceed here.