Baal I was a king of Tyre (680–660 BC). His name is the same as that of the

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n deity,

Baal Baal (), or Baʻal, was a title and honorific meaning 'owner' or 'lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The ...

. He was tributary to the

Assyrians Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...

, who had conquered the rest of Phoenicia.

Treaty with Esarhaddon

In c. 675 BC, Baal I entered into a vassal treaty with

Esarhaddon Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (, also , meaning " Ashur has given me a brother"; Biblical Hebrew: ''ʾĒsar-Ḥaddōn'') was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 681 to 669 BC. The third king of the S ...

(currently in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

) in exchange for Tyre's trading rights. These two rulers are possibly depicted together on the Victory stele of Esarhaddon, issued in c. 670 BC. In the stele, which was erected to commemorate the defeat of Egypt, the figure that supposedly represents the Phoenician king was shown with pierced lips tied to strings that were coiled around Esarhaddon's left hand. Sources noted that Baal I was a prominent vassal and may have enjoyed exceptional favor in Assyria due to several factors. His navy helped the Assyrians capture Abdi-Milkuti, the king of

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

, and cement Assyrian authority in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. He may also have assisted the Assyrians in their war against

Elam Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...

. Baal I was also the first ruler in the list of tributaries who provided materials for Esarhaddon's palace at

Nineveh Nineveh ( ; , ''URUNI.NU.A, Ninua''; , ''Nīnəwē''; , ''Nīnawā''; , ''Nīnwē''), was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul (itself built out of the Assyrian town of Mepsila) in northern ...

. By 671, BC Baal I defied Assyria after it secured an alliance with Taharqo, king of Cush. Esarhaddon attacked Tyre and Baal I later capitulated, ceding most of his mainland towns. His daughters were sent to the Assyrian king along with substantial dowries. Scholars, however, cited that Esarhaddon failed to conquer Tyre. Baal I was never captured and he kept his throne. While Esarhaddon claimed in the Victory Stele that he conquered the city, he merely managed to blockade the island, cutting it from its supply of water and food.

Ashurbanipal's reign

The king of Tyre was again cited in the inscriptions of Esarhaddon's son Ashurbanipal. He was first mentioned for his participation in the king's second campaign along the Delta and the Nile valley to establish the Assyrian domination in Egypt. The inscriptions recorded a later war with Baal I due to his relations with Egypt. The king may have also refused to pay tribute. In retaliation, Ashurbanipal blockaded the harbor of Tyre until Baal I surrendered. Ashurbanipal's account of the siege stated:

ecausehe did not honor my royal commands and did not obey the pronouncements from my lips, I set up blockades against him. To prevent his people from leaving, I reinforced its garrison. By sea and dry land, I took control of all of his routes and thus cut off all access to him.

Around 668, Baal I was cited paying tribute and sending naval assistance to Ashurbarnipal's campaign against Egypt. He also sent his son Yehawmelek to

Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal (, meaning " Ashur is the creator of the heir")—or Osnappar ()—was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 669 BC to his death in 631. He is generally remembered as the last great king of Assyria. Ashurbanipal inherited the th ...

(r. 668–627 BC) with heavy tribute. According to Ashurbanipal's own account, Baal's son was later sent back as an act of mercy. Baal also enjoyed special rights and privileges even on the mainland, which some scholars suggested may have required a new treaty.

Treaty with Esarhaddon

Ashurbanipal's reign

References

See also