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- Yes, date unknown
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| Name |
HAMATH |
| _UID |
9944F0AE7C375C41A0F4BB648457151886E9 |
| Death |
Yes, date unknown |
| Notes |
- Place name meaning, fortress. City-state located in the valley of the Orontes River, roughly 120 miles north of Damascus. Excavation indicates this mound was occupied as early as Neolithic times.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions first discovered by J. L. Burckhardt in 1810 attest early Hittite influence in Hamath. Throughout much of its existence, Hamath functioned as the capital of an independent kingdom.
The southern boundary of Hamath served as the northern boundary of Israel during the reigns of Solomon (1 Kin 8:65; 2 Chr 8:4) and Jeroboam II (2 Kin 14:25, 28). The entrance of Hamath was treated as the northern border of Israel (Num 34:8; Josh 13:5; Ezek 47:15-17, 20; 48:1) and served as an accepted geographical expression (Num 13:21; Judg 3:3).
Toi, king of Hamath, sent his son to congratulate David after David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah. Toi had frequently fought with Hadadezer (2 Sam 8:9-10; 1 Chr 18:3, 9-10). In 853 B.C. King Irhuleni of Hamath joined a coalition including Ben-hadad II of Damascus and Ahab of Israel which successfully thwarted the advance of Shalmaneser II of Assyria into northern Syria. In about 802 B.C. Adad-nirari III of Assyria crushed Damascus and levied a heavy tax upon it. During the following decades, the king of Hamath, probably named Zakir, waged a successful rivalry with Damascus. Hamath reached the zenith of its power between 800 and 750 B.C.
In 738 B.C. Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria exacted tribute from Hamath together with other states including Israel. Following the fall of Samaria in 722-721 B.C., Hamath was devastated in 720 B.C. by Sargon II of Assyria (Amos 6:2). Refugees from Samaria may have been exiled to Hamath by the Assyrians, while refugees from Hamath were brought to Samaria along with their god, Ashima (2 Kin 17:24, 30; Isa 11:11). From this time, Hamath’s history seems to merge with that of Damascus (Jer 49:23).
In the Hellenistic period, Antiochus IV changed its name to Epiphania. It was known by this name in the Graeco-Roman period, though the natives continued to call it Hamath (modern amah).
hamath (33)
Num 13:21, Num 34:8, Josh 13:5, Judg 3:3, 2 Sam 8:9, 1 Kin 8:65, 2 Kin 14:25, 2 Kin 14:28, 2 Kin 17:24, 2 Kin 17:30, 2 Kin 18:34, 2 Kin 19:13, 2 Kin 23:33, 2 Kin 25:21, 1 Chr 18:3, 1 Chr 18:9, 2 Chr 7:8, 2 Chr 8:4, Isa 10:9, Isa 11:11, Isa 36:19, Isa 37:13, Jer 39:5, Jer 49:23, Jer 52:9, Jer 52:27, Ezek 47:16-17 (3), Ezek 47:20, Zech 9:1-2 (3)
hemath (3)
1 Chr 2:55, 1 Chr 13:5, Amos 6:14
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| Person ID |
I2373 |
z-Bible Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
24 Dec 2007 |
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