Salmānu-ašarēd II, inscribed
mdSILIM''-ma-nu-''
MAŠ/
SAG, meaning " Being peaceful is foremost," was the king of
Assyria 1030–1019 BC, the 93rd to appear on the ''Khorsabad'' copy
[''Khorsabad Kinglist'', tablet IM 60017 (excavation nos.: DS 828, DS 32-54), iv 6-7.] of the
Assyrian Kinglist, although he has been apparently carelessly omitted altogether on the ''Nassouhi'' copy.
[''Nassouhi Kinglist'', Istanbul A. 116 (Assur 8836).]
Biography

In recent years, there has been a trend towards reading the
SILIM in his name as ''sal'' rather than ''šul'' on
philological grounds. He succeeded his father,
Aššur-nāṣir-apli I and ruled for 12 years according to the Assyrian Kingliest and confirmed by a heavily damaged fragment of an
eponym list (pictured).
Of the twelve
limmu officials listed, only the names of the first two have been substantially preserved, that of Salmānu-ašarēd himself, who took the eponymy in his first year, and
MU.ŠID''-mu-šab-''
'ši'' The twelfth entry ''ša ar''
'ki si''...indicates that the
limmu "which is after" (the previous name) either suggesting that the original from which this list was copied was defective in this place or the gap in the office coincides with a period of turbulence.
In the ''Synchronistic Kingliest''
[''Synchronistic Kingliest'', tablet excavation no. Ass 14616c, first publication KAV 216.] he is listed beside his
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
ian counterpart,
Eulmaš-šakin-šumi (1004–988 BC) of the Bῑt-Bazi dynasty, an unlikely pairing reflecting perhaps the isolation of the two kingdoms at the time. In all likelihood, he reigned concurrently with
Nabû-šuma-libūr (1033–1026 BC) and
Simbar-Šipak (1025–1008 BC), whose reigns were characterized by droughts, crop failures and incursions by
Arameans
The Arameans ( oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; syc, ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ, Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic-speaking people in the Near East, first recorded in historical sources from the late 12th century BCE. The Aramean ...
, migrating under the pressure from climate change. The later king,
Aššur-dān II (935–912 BC), recalled Salmānu-ašarēd's own losses to this tribal group:
Another retrospective reference can probably be found in an inscription of
Aššur-nāṣir-apli II unless it refers to the earlier king by this name. It relates "I repossessed the cities of Sinabu (and) Tidu—fortresses which Salmānu-ašarēd, king of Assyria, a prince who preceded me, had garrisoned against the land of
Nairi (and) which the Arameans had captured by force."
There are few inscriptions which may be attributed for certainty to him as several may belong to the
Salmānu-ašarēd who preceded him, or to one of the three who followed. Of those that can be reliably attributed, a monumental stele (number 14) from Aššur, from the Stelenreihe, "row of stelae," provides his genealogy thus permitting identification but nothing else. It reads: "Salmānu-ašarēd, great king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, son of Aššur-nāṣir-apli (I), king of Assyria, son of
Šamši-adad (IV), who was also king of Assyria". A temple endowment
[Temple endowment, KAV 78.] lists quantities of cedar balsam (''dam erêni'') donated by the king to the Aššur temple and its "temples" and includes the provision of a quantity of aromatics to Idiglat, the deified river
Tigris.
There is a long dedication inscription of Salmānu-ašarēd, II or III undetermined, to
Ištar composed for the consecration of a temple.
[KAR 98.] A gold and a silver disk are inscribed with the name "Salmānu-ašarēd" and could possibly represent this king or his predecessor.
[ § 33.]
He was succeeded by his son, the briefly reigning
Aššur-Nērārī IV, and then his brother
Aššur-rabi II.
Inscriptions
References
{{Authority control
11th-century BC Assyrian kings
1019 BC deaths
Year of birth unknown