smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in
Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead."[506]

Tiglath-pileser was operating successfully in middle Syria when he had
dealings with, among others, "Menihimme (Menahem) of the city of the
Samarians", who paid tribute. No resistance was possible on the part
of Menahem, the usurper, who was probably ready to welcome the
Assyrian conqueror, so that, by arranging an alliance, he might secure
his own position. The Biblical reference is as follows: "And Pul the
king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand
talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the
kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of
all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to
give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and
stayed not there in the land."[507] Rezin of Damascus, Hiram of Tyre,
and Zabibi, queen of the Arabians, also sent gifts to Tiglath-pileser
at this time (738 B.C.). Aramaean revolts on the borders of Elam were
suppressed by Assyrian governors, and large numbers of the inhabitants
were transported to various places in Syria.

Tiglath-pileser next operated against the Median and other hill tribes
in the north-east. In 735 B.C. he invaded Urartu, the great Armenian
state which had threatened the supremacy of Assyria in north Syria and
Cappadocia. King Sharduris was unable to protect his frontier or
hamper the progress of the advancing army, which penetrated to his
capital. Dhuspas was soon captured, but Sharduris took refuge in his
rocky citadel which he and his predecessors had laboured to render
impregnable. There he was able to defy the might of Assyria, for the
fortress could be approached on the western side alone by a narrow
path between high walls and towers, so that only a small force could
find room to operate against the numerous garrison.

Tiglath-pileser had to content himself by devastating the city on the
plain and the neighbouring villages. He overthrew buildings, destroyed
orchards, and transported to Nineveh those of the inhabitants he had
not put to the sword, with all the live stock he could lay hands on.
Thus was Urartu crippled and humiliated: it never regained its former
prestige among the northern states.

In the following year Tiglath-pileser returned to Syria. The
circumstances which made this expedition necessary are of special
interest on account of its Biblic