Description
The inscription was on the lower part of the original stele. The upper part is now missing; it probably had the statue of king Zakkur sitting on a chair. Only some small parts of the upper part are still preserved such as the feet.Discovery
The Stele was discovered in 1903 at Tell Afis (mentioned in the Stele as ''Hazrach''), 45 km southeast of Aleppo, in the territory of the ancient kingdom of Hamath. It was published in 1907. The long inscription is known as Kanaanäische und Aramäische Inschriften, KAI 202; it reads, in part: :''I am Zakkur, king of Hamath and Luash . . . Bar-Hadad, son of Hazael, king of Aram, united against me seventeen kings . . .all these kings laid siege to Hazrach . . . Baalshamayn said to me, "Do not be afraid! . . .I will save you from all [these kings who] have besieged you"''Ivor PoobalanDeities
Two gods are mentioned in the inscription, Baalshamin and Iluwer. Iluwer was the personal god of king Zakkur, while Baalshamin was the god of the city. It is believed that Iluwer represents the earlier god Mer or Wer (god), Wer going back to 3rd millennium BC. This inscription represents the earliest Aramaean evidence of the god Baalshamin/Ba'alsamayin. Phoenician Yehimilk inscription, also mentioning Baalshamin is even earlier. It dates to the 10th century BCE.See also
*Baal with Thunderbolt *List of artifacts significant to the BibleNotes
Bibliography
* Pognon, H., Inscriptions sémitiques de la Syrie, de la Mésopotamie, et de la région de Mossoul. . Paris: Imprimerie nationale/Gabalda, 1907 * Driver, S.R., "An Aramaic Inscription from Syria." Expositor 7/5 (1908): 481–90. * Ronzevalle, S., "An Aramaic inscription of Zakir, ruler of Hamath and Laˁš." Al-Mashriq 11 (1908): 302–10 * Halévy, J., "Inscription de Zakir, roi de Hamat, découverte par M. H. Pognon." RevSém 16 (1908a): 243–46 * Nöldeke, Theodor, "Aramäische Inschriften." ZA 21 (1908a): 375–88 * Montgomery, James A., "Some Gleanings from Pognon's ZKR Inscription." JBL 28 (1909): 57–70External links