“I loved reading this little handbook. The stories of the Temples, the exiles, the archaeology, and the ancient Hebrew cities whose names still survive in Arab towns were absolutely fascinating. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Israel and always will.”

One of the earliest menitons of the kingdom of Israel. The Kurkh Stele is a 9th century BC Assyrian inscription created during the reign of King Shalmaneser III. It describes the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC and famously mentions “Ahab the Israelite,” making it one of the earliest known non-biblical references to the Kingdom of Israel. The inscription records Israel as a significant regional power that joined a coalition of Levantine kingdoms against Assyria, providing important archaeological confirmation of ancient Israel’s existence in neighboring historical records.

Image credit: Kurkh Monolith of Shalmaneser III, 9th century BC, British Museum. Public domain.