{
  "id": "dict_005215",
  "term": "Shalmaneser",
  "slug": "shalmaneser",
  "letter": "S",
  "entry_type": "historical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "An Assyrian royal name borne by kings mentioned in the Old Testament, especially in connection with the siege and fall of Samaria.",
  "simple_one_line": "Shalmaneser was an Assyrian king named in Israel’s late monarchy period.",
  "tooltip_text": "Assyrian royal name associated in Scripture with the siege and fall of Samaria.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Assyria",
    "Hoshea",
    "Samaria",
    "Northern Kingdom of Israel",
    "exile",
    "2 Kings"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Tiglath-pileser III",
    "Sargon II",
    "siege",
    "captivity",
    "2 Kings"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Shalmaneser is the name of an Assyrian king or kings mentioned in the Old Testament, most notably in the narrative of the northern kingdom’s collapse.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A royal Assyrian name appearing in Scripture in connection with Hoshea, Samaria, and the fall of the northern kingdom.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Mentioned in 2 Kings in the context of Assyria’s pressure on Israel",
    "Associated with the siege of Samaria",
    "Illustrates God’s sovereignty over nations and covenant judgment",
    "Best treated as a historical proper name rather than a theological term."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Shalmaneser is the name of an Assyrian ruler mentioned in the Old Testament, most notably in connection with Hoshea king of Israel and the siege of Samaria. The biblical references place this king within the historical setting that led to the fall of the northern kingdom. Because ancient Near Eastern chronology and royal naming can be discussed in more than one way, the entry should be handled cautiously as a historical name rather than a doctrinal term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Shalmaneser is an Assyrian royal name appearing in the Old Testament, where it is linked especially to the reign of Hoshea and the final crisis of the northern kingdom of Israel. In the biblical record, Shalmaneser belongs to the wider Assyrian dominance that culminated in Samaria’s fall. The entry is best understood as a historical proper name: Scripture uses it to place Israel’s judgment within real imperial history, not to teach a doctrine about the king himself. Because ancient Assyrian chronology and the exact identification of the ruler can be discussed in historical scholarship, the dictionary entry should remain careful and bounded, stating only what the biblical text clearly presents.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Old Testament, Shalmaneser appears in the account of Assyria’s dealings with the northern kingdom of Israel. The name is tied to Hoshea’s rebellion, tribute, and the siege that led to Samaria’s capture. The narrative places Assyria’s rise and Israel’s decline within the covenant history of judgment and exile.",
  "background_historical_context": "Shalmaneser belongs to the Assyrian imperial period, when Assyria dominated the Levant and exacted tribute from smaller kingdoms. The biblical references connect the name with the events surrounding the end of the northern kingdom. Historical discussion may compare the biblical notices with Assyrian royal chronology, but the entry should remain anchored to the scriptural identification.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "For ancient readers, Assyria represented a powerful foreign empire used by God as an instrument of judgment. The name Shalmaneser would have evoked imperial power, tribute, siege, and exile in the memory of Israel’s fall.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Kings 17:3-6",
    "18:9-12"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "2 Kings 17:7-23",
    "2 Kings 17:24-41"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew rendering of an Assyrian royal name; the Old Testament uses it as a historical name connected with the fall of Samaria.",
  "theological_significance": "Shalmaneser’s appearance in Scripture underscores God’s sovereignty over pagan empires and his judgment on persistent covenant unfaithfulness in the northern kingdom. The passage also shows that Israel’s history unfolds under divine providence, not merely political forces.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The entry is a reminder that biblical faith is rooted in public history. Real kings, real empires, and real events serve the purposes of God without reducing divine action to mere human politics.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not turn this entry into a speculative chronology debate. Scripture clearly associates the name with Assyria’s pressure on Israel, but the exact historical reconstruction should not be overstated beyond the biblical text.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters identify the biblical Shalmaneser with the Assyrian king involved in the fall of Samaria, often discussed in relation to Shalmaneser V. The main caution is not denial of the biblical reference, but restraint about exact historical harmonization where secondary data are debated.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This is a historical proper name, not a doctrine or theological concept. The entry should support biblical-historical understanding without making claims beyond the scriptural references.",
  "practical_significance": "The account reminds readers that national power is under God’s rule and that covenant unfaithfulness has serious consequences. It also helps readers place the fall of Israel within the broader storyline of Scripture.",
  "meta_description": "Shalmaneser was an Assyrian king named in the Old Testament, especially in connection with the siege and fall of Samaria.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/shalmaneser/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/shalmaneser.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}