Menahem
Menahem was a king of Israel who seized the throne by murdering Shallum and reigned ten years with notable cruelty, even sacking a town that would not submit. When the Assyrian king Pul (Tiglath-Pileser) invaded, Menahem paid a thousand talents of silver - exacted from the wealthy men of Israel - to secure his throne, beginning Israel's ruinous dependence on Assyria. Like the kings before him, he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
Biography
- Occupation
- King of Israel
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Nationality
- Israelite
Did You Know?
Menahem's brutality was extreme even by the standards of Israel's kings - he sacked the town of Tiphsah and 'ripped up' its pregnant women for refusing to submit (2 Kings 15:16).
He bought off the Assyrian king Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III) with a thousand talents of silver, raising the money by taxing every wealthy man fifty shekels (2 Kings 15:19-20) - Israel's first fatal entanglement with Assyria.
Tiglath-Pileser's own inscriptions independently name 'Menahem of Samaria' among the kings who paid him tribute, corroborating the biblical account.
Key Chapters
Key Passages
Menahem and Assyria
2 Kings 15:17-22
Menahem taxes Israel to buy off the Assyrian king, entangling the nation with the empire that would destroy it.
17n the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.