Establishing order

for the Assyrian

kings

by
Damien F. Mackey

The best sequence for the most powerful Middle-to-Neo kings of Assyria, I believe, is the
one to be found in Marc Van de Mieroop’s “King Lists” on p. 294 of his book, A History of
the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (Blackwell, 2004).
The Assyrian kings listed there (I shall call this list A) are as follows:

ADAD-NIRARI I
 SHALMANESER I
TUKULTI-NINURTA I
ASSUR-NADIN-APLI

Ignoring Van de Mieroop’s dates for these kings, spanning c. 1300 - c. 1200 BC – which
dates, I consider, are far too early – we find these names again, but in a different sequence, on
the author’s p. 295. (I shall call this list B):

ADAD-NIRARI II
TUKULTI-NINURTA II
ASHURNASIRPAL II
SHALMANESER III

But, now, they are dated to c. 900 - c. 800 BC – meaning that list B is dated some 400 years
later than list A.

Returning to the first list (A), which I consider to be the proper order (but wrong dates), this
is how I would fill out, and re-date, these four major kings:

ADAD-NIRARI (is I-III), and was a contemporary of king Jehoash of Israel (c. 800-785
BC, conventional dating) according to the Tell al-Rimah stele.

SHALMANESER (is I-V), and he is the same as Tiglath-pileser (I-III), a contemporary of

king Hoshea of Israel (c. 733-722 BC, conventional dating).

TUKULTI-NINURTA (is I-II) and is (Sargon II =) Sennacherib, as according to e.g. my

article:

Can Tukulti-Ninurta I be king Sennacherib?

https://www.academia.edu/40246318/Can_Tukulti_Ninurta_I_be_king_Sennacherib

ASSUR-NADIN-APLI (or Ashurnasirpal) (I-II) is (Esarhaddon =) Ashurbanipal, and is

also the same as Nebuchednezzar (I-II). See e.g. my article:

Aligning Neo-Babylonia with Book of Daniel. Part Two: Merging late neo-
Assyrians with Chaldeans
https://www.academia.edu/38330399/Aligning_Neo_Babylonia_with_Book_of_Daniel
_Part_Two_Merging_late_neo_Assyrians_with_Chaldeans