ny countries; while thousands of
prisoners were assembled there to rear stately buildings which
ultimately fell into decay and were buried by drifting sands.

Layard excavated the emperor's palace and dispatched to London, among
other treasures of antiquity, the sublime winged human-headed lions
which guarded the entrance, and many bas reliefs.

The Assyrian sculptures of this period lack the technical skill, the
delicacy and imagination of Sumerian and Akkadian art, but they are
full of energy, dignified and massive, and strong and lifelike. They
reflect the spirit of Assyria's greatness, which, however, had a
materialistic basis. Assyrian art found expression in delineating the
outward form rather than in striving to create a "thing of beauty"
which is "a joy for ever".

When Ashur-natsir-pal died, he was succeeded by his son Shalmaneser
III (860-825 B.C.), whose military activities extended over his whole
reign. No fewer than thirty-two expeditions were recorded on his
famous black obelisk.

As Shalmaneser was the first Assyrian king who came into direct touch
with the Hebrews, it will be of interest here to review the history of
the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as recorded in the Bible,
because of the light it throws on international politics and the
situation which confronted Shalmaneser in Mesopotamia and Syria in the
early part of his reign.

After Solomon died, the kingdom of his son Rehoboam was restricted to
Judah, Benjamin, Moab, and Edom. The "ten tribes" of Israel had
revolted and were ruled over by Jeroboam, whose capital was at
Tirzah.[432] "There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam
continually."[433]

The religious organization which had united the Hebrews under David
and Solomon was thus broken up. Jeroboam established the religion of
the Canaanites and made "gods and molten images". He was condemned for
his idolatry by the prophet Ahijah, who declared, "The Lord shall
smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he shall root up
Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and
shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their
groves, provoking the Lord to anger. And he shall give Israel up
because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to
sin."[434]

In Judah Rehoboam similarly "did evil in the sight of the Lord"; his
subjects "also built them high places and images and groves, on every
high hill, and under every green tr