King of Hamath, Sargon Assyria, Tilgath Pileser, Inscriptions, Bible, Archaeology

The Aramaic Inscription of Zakar, King of Hamath
This important monument, published by the discoverer H. Pognon in 1907, makes a significant reference in lines four and five to Benhadad II. Under the Aramaic form of the name, "Barhadad, son of Hazael, king of Aram" is presented as heading a coalition of twelve to eighteen kings against "Zakir, king of Hamath and Lu'ash". The operations of the confederacy, in which only seven of the kings take part, as Zakir expressly mentions, are directed against Hazrek (biblical Hadrach of Zechariah 9:1), the capital city of Lu'ash, a north Syrian principality southwest of Aleppo, and north of Hamath on the Orontes.

The Translation of the Inscription - Line 17
01. ...... Hazrak ....
02. ...... for chariotry and cavalry ...
03. ...... its king within it I ....
04. ...... Hazrak, and I added ....
05. ...... all the circuit ....
06. ...... and I set him as king ....
07. ...... ...... ...... ......
08. ...... these enemies in all its midst
09. I built gods' houses in all
10. ...... and I built
11. .......................
12. ...... house ....
13. ...... I set before [El-
14. Ur] this stele and in[sribed
15. i]t with the writing of my hands.
16. [And] whosoever will remove the wri[ting
17. of the hands of Zakar king of Hamath and La-
18. ash from this stele, and whosoever
19. will remove this stele from [be-
20. fore] El-Ur, and disturb it [from
21. its] place, or whosoever will lay upon [it
22. his hand] .... [shall curse him?]
23. [the Lor]d of Heaven and El-
24. [Ur] ..... and Sun and Moon
25. ...... and the gods of heaven
26. [and the gods of] earth, and Baal of Laa-

Shalmaneser's Monolith
Another famous artifact known as the Kirk Monolith, from Shalmaneser, contains the name and title "Iruleni King of Hamath."

Sargon's Palace Inscription
This inscription of the Assyrian King Sargon discovered in the ruins of Khorsabad, Iraq lists several names of royalty and citizens associated with the city of Hamath.

Line 12 reads: "Jaubid of Hamath, a smith, was not the legitimate master of the throne, he was an infidel and an impious man, and he had coveted the royalty of Hamath"

Line 60 reads: "Irkhulina of Hamath"

Line 88 reads: "The land of the Hamathites"


Tilgath Pileser III - Campaigns Against Syria - ANET Volume 1
Building inscription of Tilgath Pileser - "Enil of Hamath"


Scriptures
Isaiah 37:13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

1 Chronicles 18:3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

2 Samuel 8:9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer